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William Priest - Travels in the United States of America
Speaking of the effect of the lancet, he says, "It was at this time my old master reminded me of Dr.
Sydenham's remark, that moderate bleeding did harm in the plague, where copious
bleeding was indicated, and that, in the cure of that disorder, we should leave Nature wholly to herself, or
take the cure altogether out of her hands."
The truth of this observation was obvious: - By taking away as much blood as restored the blood-vessels
to a morbid degree of action, without reducing this action afterward, pain, congestion, and inflammation,
were greatly increased; all of which were prevented, or occurred in a less degree, when the system rose
gradually from the state of depression which had been induced by indirect debility. Under the influence
of the facts and reasonings which have been mentioned, I bore the same testimony in acute cases against
what was called moderate bleeding, that I did against bark, wine, and laudanum, in this fever. - I
drew from many persons seventy or eighty ounces of blood in five days.
* * * * *
After the cold weather had completely destroyed this disorder, it did not appear again in the United States
till the next year, when it was imported to Baltimore and New Haven; a distance from each other of more
than five hundred miles. The cold weather again destroyed it, till carried, in 1795, to Charleston and New
York, equally distant from each other; and this summer it was imported to Charleston, New York,
Boston, and Newbery Port; a distance of one thousand five hundred miles along the coast; but fortunately
the early N.W. winds destroyed it in all these places before it had made any considerable progress.
A quarantine upon vessels from the infected islands would effectually prevent the importation of this
plague; but if performed in the literal sense of the word, it would materially hurt the West India
trade of the Americans.
You have little to fear from this disorder being brought to England; experience has clearly proved, this
fever cannot exist in a cold climate; but was it to be imported to the south of Europe, the
consequences would be dreadful indeed. I before told you, the negroes were not afflicted with the yellow
fever, though universally employed as nurses to the sick.
A disease that will affect but one species of men is not new. About the year 1652, a very dreadful
and uncommon plague ravaged this part of America, and actually extirpated several nations of the
Indians, without, in a single instance, affecting the white emigrants, though continually among
them. This strange circumstance the fanatics of New England accounted for in their usual way, as
appears from several of their sermons, still preserved: -
"It was a just judgment of God upon these heathenish and idolatrous nations; the Lord took this method
of destroying them, that he might make the more room for his chosen people." A
philosopher would perhaps demand a better reason. Apropos of philosophers - An american writer
has been endeavouring to investigate the age of the world, from the Falls of Niagara! According
to his calculation (which, by the by, is not a little curious) it is 36960 years since the first
rain fell upon the face of the earth!
Yours, &c.
Boston, December 19th, 1796.
DEAR SIR,
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