appear at New York before the year seventeen hundred and ninety
three, more than a century after the town was begun to be built. In
answer to the enquiry I am making with regard to the origin of this
disease, most of those inhabitants I have had the opportunity of
speaking to on the subject, are inclined to think that the fever has
been introduced by the' commerce with the 'West Indies. My reply
has been, that if this were the case, it would seem very ex*>
traordinary, that, notwithstanding the most severe regulation of
quarantine which they had established, the disorder should still
make its appearance so often here, when in other, towns, where notso
much attention to those regulations is paid, this contagious disease
did not appear, or was soon stopped in its progress : , wherefore i t
seems tome, that at least the fever must find here, when introduced,
more matter for increasing than in most other places. To-.get more
information about this, I went to. those places where the disease is,
said in general to make most,©ommonly its firstappearance; these
are on the East river, along' the shore of which a re-to be remarked
many kilets in the wharfs for the -convienienoe .of the f»,vessels,
which not only prevent the water from flowing, but a®©, made, the'
receptacle of all: kinds of fifth, which are thrown-into them at night,
as being the nearest to. the streets. I have been at about fourteen o f
these inlets, where, many very foul .’exhalations, arise, occasioned by
the putrifying- carcasses of dogsraud cats, &c. At another quarter
of this town, where they are newly building, have been, and are still,
partly^ great swamps, over which there is just enough rubbish thrown
as to prevent the house which is builtupon them: from sinking into
the mould1,- whilst the ground beneath contains* stagnated water.
'The burial places also are in the town, which in; at eityso.much
subject to contagious diseases, must contribute very mnehi to jnfeel
the air. The houses -in general are very neat in New York, and I
have -found, on looking into* those; of 1 the inferior, classes, that they
have-acleanldness: not ^surpassed bynany other town I eyer have
• l 19 1 1
seen ; but in many of the lower streets théinhabitants,to keep thêir
houses Clean, throw out .their rubbish andrfhe retnaiBs of! their cookery,
consisting of many parts ofvegetables, beforetheirdoorsv leaving
.the whole'' to rot tillithe carts come and take-it away.
Wheny .therefore, the hot season comes- on, and the thermometer
of Eahreabeif ismp^o.-ninety-two, ni nety-four, aud-even* it is saM*
to a hu nil red and ten, when there is, often not the least breath; of
air, and I have suffered much by^ify though coming from the sixth
degree of the Tropics, it is natural to suppose that the air must be
greatly/infected with the deadly vapours exhaling from so many
sources- of pestilential corruption. The* inhabitants these districts
of course)become ! the first/ vietims of contagion, especially as they
are: crowded together in -small houses*; whifsfe the* villages in the
vicinity, which are more healthily situatediure not attacked b y thé
fever..
: -To remedy, or at least ,to lessen, this, dreadful daseaseviti is necessary
* in; the * first place that the inlets should be entirely* and care*-
|p y jihedf up, anffinstead of tbemr,. for the; benefit oft the vessels,
wharfs „might be built on the, river, and so. constructed-' as tthat the
water, should have a free course undet them. WaÆehme» ought lo
be placeff in ftheJnighh ,at leaateiffuling the» hot ^seo^aifMig'/i&at
part. o f the river which is thte nearest to* the streets*! to prevent- any
noxious filth being thrown into it 1 a* that-, time; and particular
places should be appropriated for its. reception. The- swamps
should be entirely drained to the very bottom, or canals* cut. through
them before any person be allowed ,t© build a house there. The
burial grounds ought to be removed out of the town» and the strictest
attention should be paid to ©leanness in all the streets^
In eveij newly established state, the .government wmild act more
advisably, and for the general good, in appropriating the surplusage
of the public income in improvements, than by laying itsffp .in the
treasury. And how can it be better applied than for the benefit