THE

PHILADELPHIA

MEDICAL AND PHYSICAL JOURNAL.

I. Notices of the Epidemics of Pennsylvania and NewJersey, in the years 1746, 1747, 1748, and 1749.

THE following facts relative to the prevalence of certain very severe Epidemics in our country, many years since, are extracted from the manuscript letters of Mr. John Bartram (the Father), which have been kindly put into the hands of the Editor, by the family of that distinguished American botanist. Although these facts are by no means so particular as could be wished, yet, in the paucity of authentic materials for a history of the epidemics of our country, they cannot prove unacceptable to physicians.

In a letter to Mr. Peter Collinson (of London), dated May 5th, 1748, Mr. Bartram says, "We have had the most dreadful mortality this last winter, through the Province (Pennsylvania), both town and country, that ever was known since the Christians. settled it; and it still continues.

"It is now very grievous in Jersey. It chiefly takes men in full strength, though women and children, in abundance, have died of it. Many families have been broken up, and in some the whole is turning to corruption. Some continue sick, twelve, some twentyfour hours; many three or four days, and some two weeks, before the fatal tragedy is completed.

it

"These two last summers (the summers of 1746 and 1747) have been the most sickly that ever we knew; but not quite so mortal as this spring. Last two summers, the Yellow-fever, and what we call the Dumb-Ague and Dutch-Distemper (because the Dutch first brought it in, many years ago, since which rages in one part or another of the country, yearly, and baffles all physicians) prevailed. These two last seem to be joined, and each prevails most according to the particular constitution. Either of them is able to finish the fatal stroke, or render the body so infirm as not to recover its former constitution for several months, and many never.

"Last summer (1747) the measles afflicted abundance of children, and a looseness following carried many off, in town (Philadelphia). Others a cough wasted away.

"This winter a kind of pleurisy is followed with certain death. But the Yellow-Fever, the DumbAgue, and the Pleurisy joined, are the chief actors in this tragical scene."

In another letter (dated April, 1749) to Collinson, he writes as follows: "The sickness and mortality in our country are still very grievous: a kind of pleuritic fever mixed with the Yellow-Fever, or which some call the Hungarian Fever, with black vomitings. Men are chiefly afflicted, and few recover, either in town or country.

"Several natural causes are supposed to act in this tragedy; as heat and cold, moisture and dryness, sulphur and salt, and we know not what: for we have had all these temperaments of the elements, ever since I can remember. If I must ascribe it to any natural cause, it must be to"

In another letter to Collinson (the date of which is November 2d, 1746) he says, "The fall of this year is the most sickly that ever was known, since the Europeans settled here. Scarcely a family has es

caped in the country."

II. Notices of the Fevers of the city of Norfolk, in Virginia. In a letter from Dr. JAMES TAYLOR, to the EDITOR.

I RECOLLECT that about the year 1772 or 1773, a Bilious fever raged here, with a remarkable putrid tendency, owing to a very hot and dry season, and a moderate winter. It carried off several inhabitants who did not make application in time, as the putrid stage took place soon after the attack. The

bile was remarkably acrid, and constantly produced an irritation of the stomach, with violent vomiting, pain in the back, a sudden prostration of strength, and a chilliness at the first attack.

Bleeding, emetics, or any severe evacuation generally proved fatal. The mode adopted was to empty the stomach with large draughts of warm water, or chamomile tea, and then administer an opiate; with aqua menthæ, or a saline mixture. As soon as the stomach would admit, a gentle aperient mixture of senna, and manna and cream of tartar was administered, which generally carried off large quantities of bile, and immediately the antiseptics were thrown in; for keeping up the evacuation added greatly to the debility of the patient, and this was a constant attendant. During the fever, a strong infusion of serpentaria with crocus, when cold, was given very freely, and as soon as a remission took place (for there was very seldom a perfect intermission), the bark, with wine and elixir of vitriol, was administered. Many stomachs rejected the bark, and then we had recourse to bark clysters with wine and laudanum, occasionally; avoiding all animal food, soups, &c. Indeed, I have known several recover, without taking any bark, by the use of the infusion of serpentaria and crocus, occasionally adding laudanum, which I find very effectual in irritable stomachs. In the latter stage, I have trusted to wine chiefly, and a free admission of air, and have given from one to two bottles of genuine madeira wine in the course of twelve hours, with great and good effect; and even after there was