48 Literary and Philosophical Society. 



superintending the health of the poor of Manchester and 

 Salford. Dr. Percival was evidently the leading spirit, as 

 may be seen from the earliest document describing the 

 objects to be sought. It is interesting to see how much 

 his exertions excited the activity of medical men in 

 other places, and as usual the opposition of the short- 

 sighted at home, the bigoted men, the intellectual descen- 

 dants of the witch-burners, who were losing their influence. 



The account of this early sanitary movement in the 

 history of this city is in an interesting little volume called 

 ' Proceedings of the Board of Health of Manchester.' It 

 contains a number of the original documents, and was 

 published in 1805, to clear up the controversy which rose 

 between the persecutors or opponents and the Board, nine 

 years after the work was begun which was continued with 

 success. 



The public were very much alarmed at the proposal to 

 establish a house of recovery for fever patients, fearing it 

 might become a centre of infection, and proofs of the 

 contrary required to be given. These were partly found 

 in letters from Dr. Haygarth of Chester, giving the expe- 

 rience of that place, Dr. Bardsley, Dr. Currie of Liverpool, 

 and a student who gave Edinburgh experience. 



Although the first meeting was in January, the report 

 of The Strangers' Friends Society, was able to say on 

 November 12 of the same year 1796, ' In our last report it 

 was stated that the fever was raging with great violence in 

 many parts of the town. Happily that scourge of heaven 

 is now comparatively almost withdrawn. This important 

 change we ascribe, under God, principally to the House of 

 Recovery, to the salutary effects of which we wish in this 

 manner to bear our public and grateful testimony.' 



