Medical Inquiries and Observations, Vol. 4: The Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged by the AuthorRush, Benjamin
History
Medical Inquiries and Observations, Vol. 4: The Second Edition, Revised and Enlarged by the Author
Rush, Benjamin
Medicine; Yellow fever -- Pennsylvania -- Philadelphia
The abolition of the custom of obliging lying-in women to sit up for
company.
The partial use of Schuylkill or hydrant water, for culinary and other
purposes.
The enjoyment of pure air, in country seats, in the neighbourhood of the
city. They not only preserve from sickness during the summer and autumn,
but they render families less liable to diseases during the other seasons
of the year.
And, lastly, the frequent use of private, and public warm and cold baths.
For the establishment of the latter, the citizens of Philadelphia are
indebted to Mr. Joseph Simons.
The following circumstances have an unfavourable influence upon the
health of our citizens.
Ice creams taken in excess, or upon an empty stomach.
The continuance of the practice of attending funerals, under all the
circumstances that were mentioned in describing the customs which
prevailed in Philadelphia, between the years 1760 and 1766.
The combined influence of great heat and intemperance in drinking, acting
upon passions unusually excited by public objects, on the 4th of July,
every year.
The general and inordinate use of segars.
The want of sufficient force in the water which falls into the common
sewers to convey their contents into the Delaware, renders each of their
apertures a source of sickly exhalations to the neighbouring streets and
squares.
The compact manner in which the gutters are now formed, by preventing the
descent of water into the earth, has contributed very much to retain the
filth of the city, in those seasons in which they are not washed by rain,
nor by the waste water of the pumps and hydrants.
The timbers of many of the wharves of the city have gone to decay. The
docks have not been cleaned since the year 1774, and many of them expose
large surfaces to the action of the sun at low water. The buildings have
increased in Water-street, and with them there has been a great increase
of that kind of filth which is generated in all houses; the stores in
this street often contain matters which putrify; from all which there is,
in warm weather, a constant emission of such a f[oe]tid odour, as to
render a walk through that street, by a person who does not reside there,
extremely disagreeable, and sometimes to produce sickness and vomiting.
In many parts of the vicinity of the city are to be seen pools of
stagnating water, from which there are exhaled large quantities of
unhealthy vapours, during the summer and autumnal months.
The privies have become so numerous, and are often so full, as to become
offensive in most of the compact parts of the city, more especially in
damp weather.
The pump water is impregnated with many saline and aërial matters of an
offensive nature.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account