Primary tabs
Transcription
[Page 4]
POSTCRIPT TO THE ROYAL GAZETTE.
KINGSTON REGIMENT.
Kingston, Nov. 4. 1793.
NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN, That there will be a Muster of the first Battalion and the First Company of Artillery, on MONDAY afternoon the 4th Inst. Companies to meet on the parade, at four o'clock. The rolls to be called at half past four, and the line to be formed immediately. - The captains, or Officers commanding Companies, are hereby required to make field returns of their respective Companies within the time prescribed in the 18th clause of the "Act to regulate the Militia, &c." in order to avoid the penalty therein set forth for non-compliance therewith, as well as to enable the Commanding Officer of the Regiment to make his return agreeable to the said clause. And Notice is hereby Given to such persons resident in this town, who are liable to serve in the Militia, and are not yet enlisted, that, unless they forthwith comply with he following clause of the act before mentioned, the penalties therein specified, will be enforced against them.
D. DUNCOMB, Lieut. Col.
I. And whereas the act entitled, "An act for settling the Militia," hath been found by experience to be greatly defective, and not to answer the purposes intended : And, since nothing can contribute so much to his Majesty's service, and to the preservation of the lives and fortunes of the inhabitants of this island, as a constant and regular discipline in the Militia, Be therefore enacted by the authority aforesaid, That all and every person and persons whatsoever in this island, from the age of sixteen to sixty years, excepting the Members of his Majesty's Council, the Speaker of the Assembly, and the Chief Justice of this island, for the time being, and those who have borne commissions, and who have not been degraded by sentence of a court-martial, shall, unless prevented by sickness or some inevitable necessity, within four weeks, enlist under the Captain of the foot or horse in the district in which he or they shall respectively reside, on pain of forfeiting the sum of forty shillings (to be levied by warrant under the hand and seal of the Colonel or Commanding Officer of the regiment of foot in such district) ; and if the person against whom such warrant shall be issued shall refuse to pay the forfeiture incurred, he shall be brought before the said Commanding Officer, to shew cause why he has not enlisted, and why he refuses to pay the forfeiture incurred, and, if he shall not then shew sufficient cause for his not having enlisted or paid the forfeiture, the said Commanding Officer is hereby authorized, by warrant under his hand and seal, to commit him to the common gaol of the parish or precinct where he resides, and in case there shall be no gaol in such parish or precinct then to the county gaol, for the space of forty-eight hours, without bail or mainprize, unless he should sooner pay the said fine ; and, after payment of such forfeiture, or expiration of such imprisonment, such person shall remain liable again to be proceeded against in all respects as before, to compel him to enlist, and so toties quoties until he does enlist.
Spanish Town, Oct. 31, 1793.
RAN AWAY two weeks ago, a new NEGRO GIRL of the Coromantee country, no brand mark, but her country marks in her face ; she had on when she went away, a white frock and petticoat, and a purple handkerchief marked A. She can speak little or no English, but answers to the name of PATIENCE ; her skin looks as if she was lately out of the measles. Whoever will lodge the said negro in any of the workhouses, or bring her to Eleanor Aldred, next door to James Dalhouse, Esq. Merchant, in this town, shall receive a reward of Half-a-Joe.
44.47 Kingston, Nov. 1, 1792.
RAN AWAY from the Subscriber, some weeks ago, a Creole Negro Man carpenter, named JAMES ; supposed to be harboured about Spanish-Town, where he is well acquainted. He calls himself James Bennett, and may endeavour to pass for a free man, having in his possession a manumission which is invalid ; as he has since been taken, and sold upon a writ of venditioni, against the late Mr. Taaffe, from whom he had been purchased. A reward of Half a Joe will be given to any person who will deliver said Negro to the Subscriber, or lodge him in the Kingston workhouse. He may be known by some wens which he has on one or both his elbows..
FRANCES PEDDER.
For the ROYAL GAZETTE.
AT a time when the Public are alarmed from an idea of the introduction of a disease of so calamitous a nature as the Plague, it behoves every man whose profession affords him opportunities of ascertaining the fact to offer his opinion on the subject, and endeavour to dissipate such fear and apprehension. That the disease, which has lately proved so fatal in Philadelphia, and some few instances of which have appeared in this town, is not of that nature, will best appear from an examination of the symptoms, which characterise the latter disease. At the same time, as it is difficult to say how far a disease of a contagious nature may spread, every caution, becomes necessary ; and these will be best determined on by enquiry into the means of preventing contagious diseases in general.
The chief circumstances which characterise the Plague are, that in every case its origin may be traced to have arisen from contagion ; that great numbers of people are affected with it at the same time ; that, in most of these cases it proves fatal, appearing in the form of fever, attended with buboes or carbuncles : these, though sufficient to form a distinct character of the disease, vary in different people from a variety of circumstances. Different authors who have treated of the disease enumerate a great variety ; but, from those who are most to be depended on, we may describe the disease as follows : The person infected is suddenly seized with a great degree of languor or fainting, attended with giddiness in the head, resembling drunkenness, accompanied with pain, increasing in a few hours to a state of delirium, palpitation at the heart, with great weakness and irregularity of the pulse, vomiting of bilious matter, in twenty-four hours from the first symptoms buboes or carbuncles appear in different parts, but particularly in the groin, armpit, or behind the ear ; the symptoms of fever proceed rapidly, and the appearance of livid spots, bleeding from different parts of the body, colliquative diarrhoea, soon terminate the scene. From all these circumstances, it evidently appears, that the contagion producing the plague has a general tendency to promote putrefaction in the animal body ; from this consideration alone it is that we can deliver any opinion respecting either the cure or prevention of the disease.
With respect to the prevention, as we are fully persuaded it never arises but in consequence of its being imported from some other country, so the first measure necessary is, the chief magistrate's taking care to prevent the spreading of infection, by attending to suspected vessels, and obliging the crew to the performance of a proper quarantine. With respect to the time necessary to the performance of quarantine, many doubts have arisen the general rule is forty days : When, however, we consider the impatience of sailors to come on shore, or of those on shore to go on board, we would wish to make the temptation to break it as small as possible. From every observation made on this subject we may presume, that all contagion ceases after twenty days ; we are therefore of opinion, that if quarantine has been performed for twenty days, and if, before the crew come on shore, they be fresh cloathed, there can be no danger.
With regard to quarantine of goods, there is less necessity for shortening the duration ; every thing should be unpacked on board, and well ventilated, and every other means used for correcting infection : for it is generally supposed, that infection arising from substances imbued with contagious effluvia, is of a much more active nature than when it arises from the human body. If however, in spite of every attention, the infection should get amongst the inhabitants, the great object will then be to prevent its spreading. With a view to this, the first and chief circumstance is, to avoid as much as possible communication with infected persons, or goods. In this instance, the authority of the chief magistrate must be exerted ; he must suffer such people, as are not absolutely necessary in it, to leave the town ; for it has been observed, that the more people are crowded, the more rapidly the infection spreads. For the same reason, hospitals for the reception of the, sick, should be avoided, and, as far as possible, separate apartments provided for them.
These observations are founded on the idea, that although contagion be evidently a matter floating in the atmosphere, yet that it does not produce its effect but when the body is near to the source from whence the contagion arises, that is, either near to the bodies of men, or to some substances that have been imbued with their effluvia. From this idea it is, that when the plague rages, in any of the ports of the Levant, the Europeans, in order to escape infection, shut themselves up in houses where there is no infected person ; nay, they even consider themselves secure, though the infection be in the next house to them, carefully avoiding any communication with suspected persons.
For those who are necessarily obliged to remain in the town, and particularly those who, from their profession, &c. are engaged in attending the sick, it is necessary to observe, that certain causes and circumstances tend to render them more liable to infection. Woollen or cotton cloths are much more liable to imbibe infection than linen ones. All causes that tend to weaken or enervate the body, whether by scanty diet, intemperance in drinking, great fatigue, in short, excesses of every kind ; every circumstance tending to dissipate the fears and apprehensions of the survivors, should be attended to. Besides avoiding the means favouring the operation of contagion, it is probable some means may be employed for strengthening the body, and thereby enabling it to resist contagion : for this purpose, the moderate use of wine or of spirituous liquors will have a good effect. It has been observed, that in most epidemics the common people are first seized ; in camps and garrisons the officers escape infection more than the common men : many circumstances concur here ; the use of wine, dry apartments, and clean cloathing.
Whether any medicines tend to this purpose may be doubted. In the last plague at Marteilles it is said, that many instances occurred of prevention by the use of Peruvian bark : the use of the cold bath is also recommended. The effluvia arising from camphire is said to strongly resist infection : Though we want experiments to confirm it, yet it would not be amiss for people who are obliged to be about the sick to carry a considerable quantity of camphire about them, so that the surrounding atmosphere may be constantly loaded with its effluvia.
In the cure of the plague, the means are familiar to those in other fevers. On the first attack of the disease, emetics seem to be indicated, and may be given with safety, at the same time exhibiting such remedies as may bend to produce gentle evacuations downwards : The time when it is necessary to exhibit bark and other remedies to resist the tendency to putrefaction, must be left to those who are employed in attending the sick.
B L A N K M A N I F E S T S
For Sale at his Majesty's Printing Office.