Remarks on some of the opinions of Dr. Rush respecting the yellow fever which prevailed in the city of Philadelphia in the year 1793 / By William Patterson.

Patterson, William

Date:: 1795

Credit: Remarks on some of the opinions of Dr. Rush respecting the yellow fever which prevailed in the city of Philadelphia in the year 1793 / By William Patterson. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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$[ 3^XVli ] water, conftantly running, kept the air in a moili (iate, whilft the inhabitants of the city were parched up by unceaflng heat. The fuccefs at-^ tending this judicious mode of admirtiftration Confirms feveral points that we advanced in our former fedions on this fubjecl, namely, that the greateft advantages refult from a limited inters courfe of every kind, from attention to eleanli- nefs, from the correding property of growing vegetables, and from a watery atmofphere, or rainy weather. The bad confecjuence proceeding from a \^ant of cleanlinefs in particular, was but too plainly demonftrated by the havock which the diftemper made amongft the poor, who kept dirty houfes, as whole families of them funk into one filent, undiftinguifhed grave. The mortality, likewife, in confined fireets, fmall alleys, andclofe houfes, debari'ed of a free circulation of air, greatly ex¬ ceeds that in large ftreets and well ventilated houfes. The fleps taken, in many places of the iJnited States, to prevent the introdudion of the mala¬ dy, were very ftrong; and, on other occafions, might be deemed crueL Goods carrying from Philadelphia, in a waggon, were burned; and a perfon accompanying them was tarred and feathered. Quarantines of different lengths, ex-^ ^ E ^ tending$