Page:Early History of Medicine in Philadelphia - George W Norris.djvu/118

The Early History of Medicine in Philadelphia.

voted to him.^[1] In June, 1741, the doctor desired to be excused from further service, and was succeeded by Dr. Lloyd Zachary, the Assembly at the time of his appointment directing that "he he paid a reasonable reward for services which he shall do in visiting the said vessels."

As early as 1738, Governor Thomas had recommended to the Assembly the erection of a pest house or hospital for infectious diseases, but the proposition was not assented to by them till three years afterwards, when the subject being again urged, it was agreed to, and Fisher's Island, situated at the junction of the Schuylkill and Delaware rivers, was purchased for that purpose, and a hospital erected thereon.^[2]

The vessel that brought William Penn, with about one hundred passengers, to our shores in 1682, suffered during the voyage from smallpox, which proved fatal to thirty of them, though it does not appear to have been communicated to the settlers who had preceded him. In the year 1701, the disease prevailed here, and was "general and mortal."

1. From the votes of the Assembly, we find that his services were remunerated at the rate of a pistole a visit.
2. An interesting historical sketch of our quarantine by the late Wilson Jewell, M.D., was published in 1857, where this subject will be found fully treated.

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