USA > Pennsylvania > Philadelphia County > Philadelphia > The Philadelphia Directory, 1794 > Part 18
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PHILADELPHIA ..
Sequence of the flavery of their mothers, in the cafe of all children born within this flate, from and after the paffing the act aforefaid, fhall be, and hereby is utter- ly taken away, extinguished, and abolished for ever.
And it is farther enacted, That all fuch perfons as before the paffing of the act, would have been flaves for life, fhall only be fubjected to fervitude till they fhall have attained the age of twenty eight years: in the fame manner and conditions, whereon fervants bound by indenture for four years, are or may be retained or holden.
This fociety has alfo been the happy means of procu- ring the emancipation of feveral thoufand blacks, who were detained in bondage contrary to the laws of the ftate, and have even in many inftances by legal procefs and otherwife, procured the reftitution of thofe who had been villainoufly kidnapped from feveral parts of the United States, and fent to the Weft Indies.
From a very extenfive and regular correfpondence, kept up between this fociety and thofe founded on fimi- lar principles, not only in America, but alfo in Europe, the friends to this oppreffed race of men are daily en- creafing :-- the French convention have declared liberty to all men without exception. Long debates have taken place on the fubject in the Britifh parliament, and the friends of humanity may exult in the profpect, that the period is not far diftant, when mankind will wonder that their forefathers fhould ever have tolerated an enormity of fo great a magnitude, as the flavery of their fellow creatures.
The ftated meetings of the fociety are on the firft Mondays of January, April, July, and October. Thefe meetings are generally large, and compofed of perfons of all the different religious fects in this city. The bufinefs is conducted with great order and harmony. The great Dr. Franklin was prefident of this fociety for fe- veral years before his death, and took great pleafure in difcharging all the duties of that ftation. Each mem- ber pays Ios. a year towards the expences of the focie- ty. This money is employed chiefly in defraying the coft and other charges which are incurred by the eman- cipation of negroes unlawfully held in bondage. The fociety confifts of refident and correfponding members.
Of MUTUAL-BENEFIT SOCIETIES.
There are a number of focieties inflituted within thefe few years, which are here called Mutual Benefit :-- The object of thefe inftitutions, is no doubt, highly
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laudable. The members contribute fome fmall fum at entrance, and a certain additional trifle either monthly or quarterly. Hence, without the fmalleft difficulty to the individuals compofing the focieties, a fund is raifed which is appropriated to the fole purpofe of affifting each other in fickneis ; and of making a provifion for the widows and orphans of the deceafed, and thus, like the fociety of Friends, they fupport each other.
Of NATIONAL SOCIETIES.
The propriety of thefe inftitutions is obvious. When people fall into misfortunes in any part of the world, remote from the place of their nativity, it is natural for them to make their diftrefs firft known to thofe who were originally from the fame country. The prefump. tion is, that the love of the native foil, which is infe- parable from every human breaft, will make their coun- trymen more ready than others, to adminifter to their relief : and that poffibly fome may be found among them, with whom they are connected by blood, who may have known fome of their relatives, or, at leaft who may have better opportunities of being affured from local circum- ftances, that they are not impoftors. No greater proof can be given of the utility of thefe inftitutions, than that many have been relieved by their charity, who muft otherwife have confiderably fuffered in a place wherein they were ftrangers .- The national focieties in this city are, the St. Andrews, the German incorporated, the St. George's, and the Hibernian.
To thefe we may add, a fociety which has been late- ly eftablifhed ; which, when we confider the vaft emi- grations, which, from the prefent convulfed ftate of Eu- rope, are likely to happen, there is every reafon to be- lieve will be found of the greateft utility ;- this is
The SOCIETY for the INFORMATION and ASSIST- ANCE of EMIGRANTS.
To thofe in affluent circumftances, the members of this fociety can only offer their friendfhip as individu- als, congratulate them on their fafe arrival, and wifh them fuccefs and happinefs.
To thofe in middling circumftances, who may wifh for information, the fociety refers to its committee, which will always be ready to fnew them every poffible atten- tion.
But, to the fick, the friendlefs, and the needy, the fociety addreffes itfelf in a peculiar manner ; requefts
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them not to fuffer their fpirits to droop, and affures them, that upon application to any of their committees, their cafes will be taken under immediate confideration.
Each member of this fociety upon admiffion, pays the fum of one dollar, and the further fum of one dollar an- nually. We are likewife informed, that feveral public fpirited individuals, have fubfcribed confiderable fums for the benefit of the fociety ; and without doubt, the wealthy and liberal minded citizens of Philadelphia, will readily join in fupport of an inftitution, which, whilft it is remarkably calculated to affift the diftreffed, may likewife be highly beneficial to the infant manufac- tures of America.
HEALTH OFFICE.
Among the many inftitutious of which Philadelphia has to boaft, that are calculated for the prefervation and well-being of the citizens, that of a Health Office is among the firft. This has been for many years eftablifh- ed by law ; and, until the laft year, was deemed fully requifite for every purpofe intended to be executed by fuch inftitutions. The melancholy fcene, however, which was acted in the city during the laft autumn, in confequence of the prevalence of an epidemic, refembling in many of its fymptoms, the well known yellow fever of the Weft Indies ; from which it was by many fuppo. fed to have been imported,* have induced the legiflature to alter and confiderably amend the laws for guarding the city from the introduction of contagious difeafes, which were before very defective.
They have accordingly, at their laft feffion, paffed a law, ordering the public hofpital, or peft houfe, (as it has hitherto been called) fituated upon State Ifland, five miles below the city, on the river Delaware, to be put in complete repair for the accommodation of the pati- ents that may be admitted ; and a refident phyfician, confulting phyfician, and health officer, to be appoint.
*The phyficians, and thoje too of the firft flanding in their profefion, contended for the origination of the late fever in the city, from a quantity of putrid cofee landed upon one of the wharves, where it was permitted to be exposed to the action of the open air and fun, for fome weeks, aided by the effects of a very warm and dry furz- mer. This opinion was firft ftated by Dr. Ruth, and as fully defended in his elaborate treatife on thelate epidemic. just published.
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ed by the Governor, the former of whom is to live con- ftantly at the hofpital or health office, (as it is now call- ed) in a houfe to be erected for the purpofe ; and the latter are to live in the city, but occasionally to affift in the bufinefs of the inftitution. Every veffel that arrives (coafters from this flate excepted) is ordered to be an- chored oppofite to the health office, in the ftream of the Delaware, until fhe is vifited by the refident phyfician ; who examines every part of the veffel and makes every neceffary enquiry into the ftate of the crews health ; that of the port or place from which the veffel comes; the number of fick or deaths during the voyage; the ftate of the cargo, whether infected or not, &c. And if he fees no caufe of detaining the veffel from the prefence of ficknefs, or the cargo being infected with any contagi- ous difeafe, (the fmall pox or meafles excepted) he is to give a bill of health, certifying the fame to the captain, who delivers it to the health officer in the city ; but fhould he find any fick on board, or apprehends danger from fuffering the veffel to proceed to the city, he re- moves fuch fick to the hofpital, and there attends them ; and alfo detains the veffel until he thinks it fafe for her to proceed, and has taken fuch meafures to purify her, and the cargo fuppofed to be infected, as he thinks pro- per.
No veffel is fuffered to come nearer the city than the health office, nor no perfon or goods fuffered to be land- ed in any port or place within the Delaware, with a view of being conveyed into the itate, before the exami- nation of the refident phyfician, under very heavy pe- nalties upon the pilot and mafler of the veffel, and per- fon offending, and alfo upon any attempts to conceal ficknefs.
The duty of the corfulting phyfician is to affift the re- fident phylician, in the attendance of the fick landed at the hofpital ; to vifit any veffels detained by the refi- dent phyfician, on account of ficknefs or infection on board ; to remand any veffel back to the health office after her arrival at the city, in cafe of any difcovery of ficknefs, and to fuperintend with the refident phyfician the finoking or purifying any goods fuppofed to be in- fected, and landed at the health office.
The health officer is to keep his office open every day, for the reception of the bills of health granted by the refident phyfician, to captains of veffels; to attend at the health office on State Ifland, when requested by the refident phyficien; and with the confulting phyfician,
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to vifit fuch veffels as may be detained or put in quaran- tine; as alfo to affift in the fmoking and purifying in- ected goods.
Twenty-four inspectors of the health office, are to be annually appointed by the mayor and corporation of the city ; and fix juftices of the Northern and Southern Liberties, out of the city and county, who are to divide themfelves into four claffes, each confifting of fix in- fpectors, who are to ferve monthly, and are vefted with all the powers of the health office ; to regulate the ma- nagement of the health office, and the conduct of the fteward, matron, nurfes, and other officers appointed by them : and are to make a report, with the refident phyfician, every month to the Governor,-of the num- ber and difeafes of the patients admitted into the hofpi- tal. They are likewife to have the care of the health of the city, and do every thing that may tend to the prefervation of fo invaluable a bleffing. A new hofpi- tal is likewife to be erected over the river Schuylkill, to be under their direction ; for the purpofe of removing all perfons thereto, who may be hereafter affected with any contagious difeafe in the city.
This is a fhort abliract of a very lengthy and excel- lent law, as far as it goes, for the regulation of the health office ; but it is yet imperfect in feveral particu- lars, which will, no doubt, be amended at the next fef- fion of the legiflatnre : the moft beneficial confequences have however refulted from it.
The law took place the beginning of laft May, and is now in an active ftate of operation; and it is, no doubt, owing to it, that the city enjoys its prefent uncommon healthinefs.
When mentioning the regulations adopted by the le- giflature for the purpafe of preventing infectious difor- ders, it may not be improper to obferve that the city within a few years paft. has experienced a very remark- able revolution, in refpect to the health of its inhabi- tants. The bill of mortality in every year (excepting the year 1793, when the yellow fever fpread depopula- tion amongft us) proves that the number of deaths has confiderably decreafed during the laft ten years, not- withftanding the great increafe of population.
This change in favour of life is afcribed by the phy- ficians to the cooperation of the following caufes,
I. The arching of the docks, whereby a very noxi- ous and offenfive nuifance was removed.
II. The cultivation of the lots adjoining and partly
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furrounding the city, whereby another extenfive fource of putrid exhalations is dried up.
III. An increafed care in cleaning the ftreets.
IV. An increafe of horticulture, and confequently of vegetable aliments.
V. The inftitution of the difpenfary, which has ex- tended medical aid to many hundreds in a year, who either perifhed for the want of it, or were facrificed by quacks.
VI. The more improved ftate of phyfic, whence fe- veral difeafes formerly fatal are in moft inftances bet- ter underfood and therefore more generaly cured : and,
VII. From a general diffufion of knowlede among all claffes of people, from our libraries, our numerous fo- cieties and daily publications; whence the people at large are better acquainted than formerly with the means of preferving their health.
It is with pleafure we give this information from the belt authority, and it is to be hoped that the fame or other proximate caufes will continue this valuable bief- fing-an increafe ofhealth to the inhabitants of Phila- delphia.
OF THE YELLOW FEVER.
Having mentioned this diforder to have occafioned great devaltation in the year 1793, a fhort account of it may be acceptable to feveral of our readers, who, perhaps, have not had an opportunity of perufing the volumes which have been written on the fubject.
This diforder made its firft appearance towards the letter end of July, in a lodging houfe in North Water Street : and for a few weeks feemed entirely confined to that vicinity. Hence it was generally fuprofed to have been imported and not generated in the city. This was the opinion of Doctors Currie, Cathrall and many others. It was however combated by Dr. Ben- jamin Rufh, who afferis that the contagion was genera- ted from the ftench of a cargo of damaged coffee, which had been landed near the fame place, where it firft made its appearance, on a fuppofition that vegetable potri- faction might produce fuch a diforder. For this opinion he has given his reafons at large. in a volume of which he is now publiffing the fecond edition.
At the molt eminent phyficians have differed on this Subject, we shall not offend by hazarding an opinion.
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To thofe who with for particelar information we refer to their refpective writings.
But from whatever fountain we trace this poifoned ftream, it has deltroyed the lives of many thofands- and many of thofe of the moft diftinguithed worth. Its characteriftic or leading fymptons, were fudden debili- ty in the voluntary powers, oppreffive pain, giddinefs, fenfe of fullnefs and diftenrion in the veffels of the fore part of the head and an oppreffive weight about the heart and lungs, accompanied with great anguifh, and reftlefsnefs. During the month of Auguft the funerals amounted to upwards of three hundred. The difeafe had then reached the central Streets of the city and be- gan to ipread on all lides with the greateft rapidity. In September its malignance increafed amazingly. Fear pervaded the ftouteft heart : flight became general, and terror was depicted on every countenance. In this month 1400 more were added to the lift of mortality. The contagion was ftill progreffive and towards the end of the month 90 & ico died daily. Until the the middle of Odober the mighty deftroyer went on with in- creafing havoc. From the Ift. to the 17th. upwards of 1400 fell as victims to the tremendous malady. From the 17th. to the goth the mortality gradually decreafed. In the whole month, however, the dead amounted to upwards of 200c-a dreadful number, if we confider that at this time near one half of the inhabitants had fled. Before the diforder became fo terrible, the appearance of Philadelphia muft to a ftranger have feemed very ex- traordinary. The garlic, which many chewed as a preventative could be fmelled at feveral yards diftance, whilft other hoped to avoid infection by a recourfe to fmelling bottles, handkerchiefs dipped in vinegar, cam- phor bags, &c. fo that few individuals could be feen in the ftreets without one or other of thefe applied to his noftrils.
At laft, however, experience had proved that thefe were inefficacious. A reliance on divine providence fucceeded, and in the moft terrible ftage of the diforder the citizens difcovered the moft decent fortitude and the greateft refignation. Thefe imaginary preventatives were therefore thrown afide.
From the ift. to the 7th. of November, the mortali- ty gradually decreafed. On the 9th, the burials which had hitherto been fo exceedingly numerous were redu- ced to fix. The fugitive citizens now began to return, and the ftreets refumed their wanted life and activity.
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During this aweful calamity, as has been already obferved, terror and difmay generally pervaded the ci- tizens. Some were found, however, who at the ritque of their own lives, were highly intrumental in faving the lives of their fellow creatures. An hofpital was erected at Bufhill at the diftance of about one mile from the inhabited part of the city. Thither the infected were fent in great numbers, but from a want of clean- linefs and good order, the hofpital and the grave were nearly the fame thing.
A committee had been appointed to affift the guardi- ans of the poor in the legal difcharge of their duty. It was one of the firft objects of their care to remedy this evil. To fearch into the horrors of this difinal recep- tacle required the fortitude of a Howard. Men, how- ever, ftepped forth, end voluntarily undertook the ar- duous tafk. Stephen Girard, a native of France, a wealthy merchant of this city, and Peter Helm, a native of Philadelphia, both members of the committe offered their affiftance. Thanks to Heaven ! their invaluable lives were preferved and their generous labours crown ed with fuccef's. The poor now no longer confidercd Bufhhill as the anti chamber of the grave ; but as a hu- mane provifion for the neceffitous and fick : and now ma- ny recovered.
So great a mortality of courfe left a great number of orphans in very deftitute circumftances. Here again was a large field of labour opened for the benevolent. The children were to be provided with nurfes, provifi- ons and other accommodations. The committee, howe- ver, to their former burthens undertook this, and pro· cured the Loganian library, which was fitted up as an orphan houfe, where about two hundred children were admitted, 60 of whom were infants.
The accumulating expences of this inftitution, with that of Bufhhill and many others, obviously required confiderable fums of money. Liberal contributions were fent from different quarters amounting in the whole to 29,095 dollars.
During this melancholy period the city loft ten of her moft valuable phyficians, and moft ofthe others were fick at different times. The number of deaths in all, a- mounted to 4041. To thofe who with for particular in- formation on this fubject, we would recommend Carey's account of the vellow fever
. From a perufal of the foregoing pages, the impartial reader will be fatisfied that in the city of Philadelphia,
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the means of relief are amply provided for the afflicted ofevery defcription. It will alfo appear from what follows, that literary inftitutions are not wanting. Thefe may be divided, Ilt. into the Univerfity and o. ther fcholaftic eftablifhments. 2d Public libraries. 3d. Scientific focieties, and 4th, the Mufeum.
· UNIVERSITY of PENNSYLVANIA.
The hiftory of this Seminary neceffarily involves in it the hiftory of two other feminaries , now generally diftinguifhed by the names of the Old College and the old Univerfity.
The Old College confifted of three parts ; the charita- ble fchools, the academy, and the college, strictly fo called. The Charitable Schools, which were two in number were intended; the one for the reception of thirty girls, to be taught reading, writing and fewing ; the other for the reception of lixty boys, who were to be inftructed in reading, writing and arithmetic. The Academy comprehended three fchools ; ; an Englifh fchool, a fchool for arithmetic and the prac- tical branches of the mathematics, and a Latin and Greek fchool. " The. College was divided into two fchools ; one, for teaching the philofophy of the body, (i. e. phyfics or natural philofophry ) in conjunction with the higher branches of the mathematics ; another, for the philofophy of the mind or fpirit, (i. e. natural the- ology, pfychology or the philosophy of the human mind moral philofophy, and logic,) in conjuction with the higher claffics.
Thefe feveral parts were not all inftituted at the fame time. The Charitable Schools and Academy were open- ed in the year 1750 ; under the direction of a board of truftees, confiffing of twenty four members, who howe- ver were not incorporated untill the year 1753. Thefe being well conducted and continuing to flourifh, the truftees were encouraged to extend their defigns ftill further ; and, in 1754, opened the philofophical Schools. And as this addition to the plan rendered the charter which had been already granted them inadequate, they folicited, and in the following year obtaincd, a new one; which put all the feveral parts abovementioned under the fame direction, and gave to the whole the ftyle of ' The College, Academy and Charitable Schools of the city of Philadelphia in Pennfylvania.'
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After this, in the year 1765, were added the medical fchools : confifting of four profefforthips : one of the theory and practice of phyfic ; another of anatomy ; a- nother of botany and materia medica; and another of chemiftry.
Such was the origin of this inftitution. Though intend- ed for the benefit of the public in general, and though it could not be carried on but at a very confiderable expence, it was altogether the work of a few private citizens of Philadelphia ; but among thefe was Dr. Franklin ; by whom the defign was originally projected, and the propofals for carrying it into execution drawn up and publifhed.
Soon after the revolution, however, in the year 1779 there paffed an act of the legiftature entitled, " An act to confirm the eftates and interefts of the College, Aca- demy and Charitable Schools of the city of Philadelphia : and to amend and alter the charter thereof, conform- ably to the revolution, and to the conftitution and go. vernment of this commonwealth ; and to erect the faine into an univerfity."
By virtue of this act the Seminary was placed under the direction of a new board of truftees, a few of whom had been members of the old board ; the ftyle of it was changed from that of The College, Academy and Cha- ritable fchools, &c. to that of The University of the ftate of Pennfylvania : and the executive council au- thorized to fet apart, for its ufe, fo many of the con- ffcated eftates as would produce an additional income of fifteen hundred pounds a year.
But the truftees of the old college and their Provoft, petitioning, that their charter, and the property which they had formerly held, might be reftored to them ; and the legiflature in the year 1789, thinking fit to comply ; there began at length to exift, what in the beginning had not been contemplated, two diftinct feminaries : The University of the ftate of Penfylvania, and, at the fame time The College, Academy and charitable fchools of the city of Philadelphia.
Neither of thefe feminaries, however, being poffeffed of funds fufficient to defray the expenfe of conducting it ; and it not being likely that the legiflature would be pre- vailed on to grant the money of their conftituents, for the farther endowment of two feminaries of general learning in the fame city, where, confeffedly, but one of them was wanting; each party became fill more and more convinced of the neceffity of an union. Conferen-
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ces for this purpofe began to be held. And in the end it was mutually agreed, that the two boards, fhould each of them, prefer to the legiflature a fimilar petition; praying, that, on certain conditions to be therein fpecifi- ed, both leminaries thould be confolidated into one. Thefe conditions were, that each board fhould felect twelve of its members to conftitute a new board ; of which the governor of the ftate for the time being fhould be pre- fident : and that, whatever might be the number of profeffors which this new board fhould think fit to efta- blifh, fach profefors fhould be chofen equally out of the two faculties, belonging, the one to the old college, and the other to the old univerfity ; unlefs the number to be thus eftablifhed fhould be an odd number: in which cafe the odd number, fhould be taken from either of the fa- culties indifcriminately.
' Thefe petitions were prefented ; the legiflature appro- ved of the propofal ; and accordingly, in the year 1 791, an act was paffed, entitled, " An Act to unite the Uni- verfity of the ftate of Pennfylvania, and the College, A- cademy, and Charitable fchools of Philadelphia, in the commonwealth of Pennfylvania."
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