I793J ■^^'^-"^''- iVILLIAM SMITH, D. D. 367 



of society in tlic nearest and dearest connections. Who, without hor- 

 ror, can reflect on a husband, married perhaps for twenty years, desert- 

 ing his wife in the last agony — a wife, unfeelingly abandoning her 

 husband on his death-bed — parents forsaking their children — children 

 ungratefully flying from their parents, and resigning them to chance, 

 often without an inquiry after their health or safety — masters hurrying 

 off their faithful servants to Bush Hill, even on suspicion of the fever, 

 and that at a time when, almost like Tartarus, it was open to every 

 visitant, but rarely returned any — servants abandoning tender and 

 humane masters, who only wanted a little care to restore them to health 

 and usefulness — who, I say, can think of these things, without horror? 

 Yet they were often exhibited throughout our city; and such was the 

 force of habit that the parties who were guilty of this cruelty felt no 

 remorse themselves, nor met with the censure from their fellow-citizens 

 which such conduct would have excited at any other period. Indeed, 

 at this awful crisis, so much did self appear to engross the whole atten- 

 tion of many, that in some cases not more concern was felt for the loss 

 of a parent, a husband, a wife, or an only child, than, on other occa- 

 sions, would have been caused by the death of a faithful servant. 



This kind of conduct produced scenes of distress and misery of 

 which parallels are narcly to be met with, and which nothing could 

 palliate but the extraordinary public panic and the great law of self- 

 preservation, the dominion of which extends over the whole animated 

 world. Men of affluent fortunes, who have given daily employment 

 and sustenance to hundreds, have been abandoned to the care of a negro, 

 after their wives, children, friends, clerks and servants, had fled away, 

 and left them to their fate. In some cases, at the commencement of 

 the disorder, no money could procure proper attendance. With the 

 poor, the case was, as might be expected, infinitely worse than with the 

 rich. Many of these have perished without a human being to hand 

 them a drink of water, to administer medicines, or to perform any 

 charitable office for them. Various instances have occurred of dead 

 bodies, found lying in the streets, of persons who had no house or 

 habitation, and could procure no shelter. 



The same state of things is more than adumbrated by the ad- 

 vertisements and communications which we take at random from 

 a package of newspaper cuttings made by Dr. Smith at the time. 



Preventative against the Raging Yellow Fever. 



It has been suggested, with much appositeness of reasoning, by no 

 means unworthy of attention, that, to avoid being infected with the 

 epidemic malady now prevailing in this metropolis, it is necessary to 

 breakfast early, and that without those appendages of the tables com- 

 nionly called Relishes, whether of fish or flesh. To avoid lassitude and 



