370 LIFE AND CORRESPONDENCE OF THE [l793 



provide a proper place as a hospital for such persons as may unhappily 

 become subjects of that afflicting disease in this city. 



And I do also hereby request each of you to report to me, in writing, 

 to be left at my office in King street, the names of all such persons as 

 have arrived or sJiall arrive from Pliiladclphia, or any other place, by 

 land or water, and now are sick, or may be taken sick, and be under 

 your care respectively, together with the number and street of their 

 respective residence, and the nature of the sickness, that such as may be 

 deemed to be subjects o{ infectious disease may be removed out of the city. 



Richard Varick, Mayor. 



We have some interesting notes on the subject of this pestilence 



in the Diary of Dr. Smith. They are written at different times, 



after August 28th, 1793: 



September 10, 1793. 



Nathaniel Blodget, Esq.,* was buried at Christ Church. The plague, 

 or so-called "Yellow Fever," has taken possession of the town. My 

 friend Thomas Miller has been buried some days. The physicians have 

 warned the people to care and cleanliness, to prevent the spread of the 

 contagion; and to mark the houses in which it has appeared. We still 

 stay in our town-house, as I consider it my duty as a clergyman to re- 

 main where I can be of some consolation and use. I advise my dear 

 wife to go to our son's, at Norristown, or to let my boy drive her to our 

 son Richard's, at Huntingdon, in the chair; but she is not willing to 

 leave my side. We daily burn gunpowder about the house, and Primus '\ 

 makes smoke in the cellar. The Mayor has requested the churches to 

 cease the tolling of bells at funerals. Dr. Rush calls on us every day, 

 and for some days gave us gentle doses of salts ; but he now advises the 

 use of barks, or of calomel and jalap. In fact, he knows not what 



to give. 



September 13. 



Francis Xavier Dupont, Consul of the French Republic, at Philadel- 

 ])hia, died last night at his seat at Bensalem, Bucks county. He was a 

 firm patriot and an honest man. 



.September I4. 



Alexander Murray, my old friend from Aberdeen, died at this date. 



He was buried in the evening. J 



October 13. 



No service in Christ Church and St. Peter's, on account of the illness 

 of the clerk and sexton of Christ Church and the sexton of St. Peter's. 



* Nathaniel Blodget here mentioned was brother-in-law of Mrs. Snmiiel Rlodget, the 

 Doctor's daughter. He was in the navy, and had just returned from a voyage. 



f The name of a favorite negro man whom the Doctor had brought with him from 

 Maryland. 



J. Foranaccount o-f this gentleman, see Appendix, No. III. 



