Gazette Of The United States And Daily Evening Advertiser

PHILADELPHIA,
OCTOBER 16.

Extract of a letter from Dr. George Buchanan, of Baltimore, to a Physician in Philadelphia, dated October 11th, 1794.

"From the frequent rains that fell in the early part of Summer, all the flats in and about Baltimore were kept wet, and a great quantity of stagnant water was retained in the ponds and hollows into which all the small dead animals were occasionally thrown, which occasioned a constant putrefactive fermentation, and as the season advanced, the weather became dry and hot, so that in every part of the town there were more or less of Miasmatic Effluvia exhaled, which produced fluxes, intermittents and remittents, in a greater number than has been known for several years past.

But about the last week in July and the first week in August, 3 or 4 cases of a more malignant tendency occurred, all which in a few days proved fatal, and were finally pronounced to be the contagious Yellow Fever of the West-Indies, or the same that prevailed last year in Philadelphia. This report excited considerable alarm amongst our Citizens, in consequence of which a Town-Meeting was called, and a Committee of Health appointed.

Several other cases occurred soon after, on Boley's Wharf and on Fell's-Point, where about the 1st of September the disease became truly alarming, and continued to rage with much violence until the last week of the present month, when a change in the weather from excessive heat to frost has produced a considerable abatement, so that at this time (a few rare instances excepted) Intermittents and Remittents alone prevail."

This contagious Yellow Fever, or which I more properly denominate, an inflammatory bilious Fever made its attack differently, but in general, a high Fever succeeded a chill, accompanied with a very severe pain in the head, back and joints, with pain and inflammation in the eyes; dry skin, a vomiting of bile, and a considerable pain, sense of swelling and fullness in the right hypochondrium and region of the stomach. In some the pain in the head brought on a delirium, and in many, as the disease advanced there was a black vomiting and purging; the pupils in some were dilated and generally accompanied with a low pulse. Neither the yellowness of the eyes or skin was general, many who died wanted this symptom, many who recovered had black stools.

The remedies most successful were moderate bleedings, purges and sweating.—Two bleedings were generally sufficient. Those who bled oftener lost the most Patients. By frequent purges of Calomel and Jalap, not exceeding 6 or 8 grains of the one and 10 or 15 of the other every symptom of the disease was mitigated; but unless the perspiration was kept up during the fever by the effervescent mixture or some sudorific powder, the other remedies seemed all to fail in their effects. I found Blisters upon the temples to supersede the necessity of more bleeding, and Blisters applied upon the liver had their advantages.+The drink, I recommended was warm Lemonade. Barley water and now and then in order to assist in keeping up the perspiration, warm Sage tea & Vinegar. I remarked, that during the prevalence of this disease many persons complained of a pain and fullness about the stomach and right hypochondrium, who were relieved by a smart dose of Calomel and Jalap.

At the two places already mentioned, viz. Boley's Wharf, (which is an extensive new-made flat of ground, extending several hundred yards into the Basin, on which there are a great number of dwelling houses and stores) and Fell's-Point, did the disease rage with any violence or appear to emit its fatal shafts. --Almost all the Clerks and many of the Merchants of that district, together with many of the other inhabitants who had business there, have been attacked, with the Inflammatory bilious fever, which in too many instances proved fatal.

I believe there is no fact better established in medicine than that intermittents originate from marsh effluvia, and are not contagious, and that all contagious diseases have for their remote cause a specific matter capable of producing them without which they can not exist, and of which principle no human power can divert them. If therefore the disease which lately made its appearance in Philadelphia, was the same as that which occurred there last year...
Summer, and is not now contagious it could not have been so then.

"P. S. Of 350 persons who have died at the Point, there were but about 20 women, 5 black. The greatest number strangers. Not more than 50 have died in Baltimore town. The small pox has also proved singularly infectious at the Point, notwithstanding the prevalence of the Fever."