HOSACIi ON THE LAWS OF COMAGION. 221 



spread through the city, until about the middle of October, Avhen the 

 weather growing a little cooler, the disease greatly abated, and in a short 

 time disappeared."* 



Dr. Addoms, the author of that dissertation, since that time resided 

 many years in St. Croix, and being associated with a celebrated physi- 

 cian of that island, the late Dr. Gordon, had ample opportunities of 

 seeing the yellow fever in all its forms. During his last visit to this 

 city, not long before his death, he informed me that the disease which 

 he had seen in New- York in 1791, was precisely the same which he 

 afterwards saw in St. Croix, and which frequently prevailed during his 

 residence there, more especially among Europeans newly arrived within 

 the tropics. He also remarked, at the same time, that this disease 

 always acquired new virulence, and was rendered highly contagious, 

 when introduced among soldiers crowded in barracks, or on shipboard. 



In the yellow fever of 1793, which was introduced into the city of 

 Philadelphia from the West Indies, it is conceded, on all sides, that the 

 disease made its first appearance in Water-street, and that all the cases 

 of this fever were, for two or three weeks, evidently traced to that par- 

 ticular spot. It is also a fact well ascertained, that in the vicinity of the 

 place where the infection was first received, the air was, at the same time, 

 in a very offensive condition from a quantity of damaged coffee which 

 was exposed upon the dock, and under circumstances favourable to its 

 putrefaction and exhalation. From that place the disease gradually 

 infected a considerable part of the city, the Northern Liberties, and 

 district of Southwark, and did not subside until terminated by frost, 

 after having been fatal to nearly five thousand persons. 



• Inaugural Dissertation on Yellow Fever, p. 7. 



