would preface our sketch by the remark that the 

 Minute Books of the Society, from which our facts 

 are chiefly taken, supply but little material for the 

 work before us beyond a simple recital of the offi- 

 cial doings of the Society at their regular and 

 special meetings. In a period of one hundred 

 years, and with a Society whose duties are almost 

 exclusively charitable, and therefore gratuitously 

 performed, it would necessarily happen that changes 

 in the location of its offices, and in the personnel of 

 its executive would frequently occur, and that in 

 consequence of such changes records of important 

 events would either be lost, mislaid or destroyed. 

 Thus it is that we have to present an apology for any 

 meagreness that may be noticed in our details, 

 which, had they been more complete, would doubt- 

 less have proved both entertaining and instructive ; 

 but we trust that enough is here produced to serve 

 the purpose of our appointm*^Ttl>Rnd to demonstrate 

 the value of the services performed to suffering 

 humanity during the period over which this history 

 extends. 



In starting out upon this interesting research we 

 regret to find that during the confusion consequent 

 upon *the yellow fever epidemic of 1822 the early 

 records of the Society, comprised in the Book of 

 Minutes, were lost, and that the only data at our 

 disposal prior to that time are found in the follow- 

 ing interesting sketch prepared by George Chance, 



