how much trouble a handful of illegal settlers, on the Susquehannah, caused the state of Pennsylvania. And we know, that a few people, in the district of Maine, who have settled on fifteen or twenty thousand acres of land, without a title, are, at this time, giving much trouble to the state of Massachusetts: bidding defiance to legal process, by killing or wounding civil officers. If such difficulties occur, in bringing people to order, who are surrounded by orderly citizens, what is to be done with a vast body of people, who have an interest in the opposition? I contend that the expense of a million or two millions of dollars, in making a canal, by which we should preserve the affections of our western brethren, and enable them to pay their debts, would be a measure of perfect frugality and prudence.

AN OBSERVER.

REVIEW.

ART. I. FACTS and OBSERVATIONS relative to the Nature and Origin of the PESTILENTIAL FEVER, which prevailed in this city, in 1793, 1797, and 1798. By the College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Philadel phia, Dobson, 8vo. pp. 52. 1798.

ADDITIONAL FACTS and OBSERVATIONS relative to the Nature and Origin of the PESTILENTIAL FEVER. By the College of Physicians of. Philadelphia. Philadelphia, Dobson, 8vo. pp. 99. 1806.

WHEN the malignant pestilential fever first re-appeared in the United States, in 1793, after a period of thirty-one years, the College of Physicians of Philadelphia, in common with other physicians, soon found that it was a disease unusual and unknown to most of them. They observed that it differed essentially from every kind of fever they were acquainted with; that it began from a point, from which it gradually progressed, and that it was communicated to such as were within the sphere of its action; that the violence of the feverish symptoms generally ceased on the third day of the attack; that it was very frequently followed by a yellowness of the skin, and, in fatal cases, by a vomiting of black matter, resembling coffee-grounds; and that it generally terminated within seven days also, that the usual treatment of autumnal

remittents, by the Peruvian bark, &c. would not apply to this fever. These peculiarities marked it as a new fever, and the first appearance of it, near the river, led to the supposition, that its origin, as well as symptoms, were foreign to our country. Subsequent observations have, in the opinion of the college, fully confirmed these sentiments. They have, therefore, acted on this ground, and the publication before us is made with a design of substantiating these opinions. It will be found, on perusing the work, that the college have merely given such opinions and facts as they believed were suited to justify their conclusions, and that they have, in no one instance, entered into controversy, They profess to be actuated by a desire to seek after and disseminate truth, not to obtain a victory over any who may differ from them.

In page 4, of Facts and Observations relative to the Nature and Origin of the Pestilential Fever, which prevailed in Philadelphia in 1793, 1797, and 1798, they say,

"About the latter end of July and beginning of August, 1793, a fever of a new and very alarming nature prevailed in this city. It first appeared in Water-street, between Mulberry and Sassafrasstreets; and all the cases of this fever, were, for two or three weeks, evidently traced to this particular spot. A considerable part of the city, Northern Liberties, and district of Southwark, became gradually infected, and it was not until the coming of the frost, that the disease subsided, after having proved fatal to nearly five thousand persons.

"The peculiarity of the symptoms, the remarkable inefficacy of remedies generally used for diseases which commonly occur in the same season of the year, with somewhat similar symptoms, its great mortality, and contagious nature, sufficiently evinced, that a very unusual disease existed amongst us."

About the latter end of July, 1797, the malignant pestilential fever again appeared in Philadelphia; where it appeared a third time, with increased violence, about the same period, in 1798. In support of their former opinions, of the nature and origin of the fever, the college now say, (pages 24, 25, 26, of Facts and Observations,)

"When we reflect, that Philadelphia is one of the cleanest, best aired cities in the union; that Kensington, Chester, and Wilmington, enjoy all the advantages of country air; that no possible improvement with respect to water or ventilation, can make our situation more eligible than that of these places; and particularly when we consider, that the situation of Wilmington precludes all idea of a defect of ventilation, and that New-York, being furnished with water brought from a distance, the bad quality of our water cannot be the cause. When we observe that our city has become more healthy, by the salutary improvements made in it; that the number of our common native diseases, such as autumnal remittents and dysenteries, is greatly diminished: when we also observe, that it is only in sea-ports that this fatal pestilential fever prevails; why should we refuse, in this particular instance, candidly to deduce effects from causes, and to admit, that although local circumstances may favour the spreading of such diseases, yet, as they can always be traced to the shipping or its neighbourhood, or to persons or materials connected with shipping, that there are the strongest reasons to conclude that they are introduced from thence?

"From the preceding facts and observations we think the following conclusions may be justly drawn.

"That the contagious malignant fever which appeared in this city in the years 1793, 1797, and 1798, is essentially different from the bilious remittent fever of this climate.

"That the contagious malignant fever of those years is essentially the same, with the disease called the yellow-fever in the British, and the maladie de Siam, in the French West-India islands.

"That the yellow-fever or maladie de Siam prevailed in a very great degree in the different ports of Hispaniola, during the last year, and more particularly in Port-au-Prince, Jeremie, and Cape-NicholaMole.

"That a very great number of vessels arrived at this city from those ports, during the months of June and July 1798.

"That this disease has been several times introduced into NorthAmerica, by contagion retained in the wearing apparel of persons who had died in the West-Indies, although no person was sick on board at the time the vessel arrived in this country; and that we have demonstrated, as fully as it is possible in a matter which is not obvious to our senses, that the contagion of the fever of 1798 was imported from Jeremie, Cape-Nichola-Mole, or Port-au-Prince, in one or more vessels, which arrived here in June and July last."

In an appendix to the Facts and Observations, a number of documents are given, in support of the doctrines laid down. The discussion of the doctrines, assumed by the college, had, it is well known, been freely and generally made. Many of their positions had been called in question, and, deeming it interesting to what they believed to be essential to the public welfare, they published, in 1806, a number of "Additional Facts and Observations relative to the Nature and Origin of the Pestilential Fever." The consideration of these, for want of room, we must necessarily postpone to our next.