Narrative of Henry Watson, a fugitive slaveWatson, Henry
History
Narrative of Henry Watson, a fugitive slave
Watson, Henry
Enslaved persons -- Mississippi -- Social conditions; Slavery -- Mississippi
In the 'Charleston (South Carolina) Mercury' of October 12, 1838, we
find an advertisement of half a column, by a Dr. T. Stillman, setting
forth the merits of another 'Medical Infirmary,' under his own special
supervision, at No. 110 Church street, Charleston. The doctor, after
inveighing loudly against 'men totally ignorant of medical science,'
who flood the country with quack nostrums backed up by 'fabricated
proofs of miraculous cures,' proceeds to enumerate the diseases to
which his 'Infirmary' is open, and to which his practice will be
mainly confined. Appreciating the importance of 'interesting cases,'
as a stock in trade on which to commence his experiments, he copies
the example of the medical professors, and advertises for them. But,
either from a keener sense of justice, or more generosity, or greater
confidence in his skill, or for some other reason, he proposes to
_buy up_ an assortment of _damaged_ negroes, given over as incurable
by others, and to make such his 'interesting cases,' instead of
experimenting on those who are the 'property' of others.
Dr. Stillman closes his advertisement with the following notice:—
"TO PLANTERS AND OTHERS.—Wanted, _fifty negroes_. Any person
having sick negroes, considered incurable by their respective
physicians, and wishing to dispose of them, Dr. S. will pay cash
for negroes affected with scrofula or king's evil, confirmed
hypocondriasm, apoplexy, diseases of the liver, kidneys, spleen,
stomach and intestines, bladder and its appendages, diarrhœa,
dysentery, &c. The highest cash price will be paid on application
as above."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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