Letters on the yellow fever of 1822 / [Grant Thorburn].

  • Grant Thorburn
Date:
1824
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Letters on the yellow fever of 1822 / [Grant Thorburn]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    0 very hot. He told me it changed about two o'clock in the morning, and that he felt the cold very sensibly. At half past five the ther¬ mometer stood in my yard at fifty-two. I took hold of his hand— his pulse boat high—I advised him to call a physician—he was afraid of being reported—he took medicine : while under its ope¬ ration was out and in—sometimes dressed, sometimes in bed. On Saturday the seventh, at 5 P. M. I spoke to him in the street—on Sunday evening a physician was called for the first time j and by half past seven he was dead. Sept. 14.—It rained early this morn¬ ing. Smith and his wife, residing at No. 2l£ Nassau-street, stood near half an hour collecting water from a gutter—got completely wet—taken down same day. Smith died in seven, and his wife some days after him. James North, stocking-weaver, in my house, having business in the Bowery, met with an old acquaintance—staid till night—was overtaken by a thunder-shower—got completely wet; next morning had the fever in its highest degree, and died the seventh day. Two out of the five sugar-house cases commenced in a similar manner; but as all their places of residence was in the upper part of the city, I never got any account of the others. There is one fact worth recording here, viz : Mr. Christian, the foreman, a sober, regular, temperate man, was the only person about the works who eat and slept nearly through the whole fever season at the su¬ gar-house, and he enjoyed his usual health. The other men slept up town, and came to work in the morning. It appeared to me, from the manner in which the doctors reported cases to the Board of Health, that they had entered into a conspiracy to scare the al¬ ready frightened inhabitants of New-York. About the 10th of Sep¬ tember, Peter Sims was reported sick of yellow fever in Orange- street ; it was added that he had attended Tate. This was incor¬ rect ; for Tate had no attendance: the fact is, Sims was at Tate’s funeral. Next day, being a little indisposed, he called a physician, who, as soon as he learned where he had been, pronounced it yellow fever ; however, he was able to go about his usual business in a few dyys. , • Next week, Abraham Gordon was reported sick of yellow fever, •* with the addition, he had been in Tate's house. Gordon belonged to the temporary watch—lay down the fore part of the evening, and having over-slept himself, hurried out, forgetting his watch-coat j