Alexandria gazette & daily advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1817-1822, 1821-10-17
BOARD OF HEALTH.

AsreeabIy to the !st sect. OF the Law es'
tabli.hing a Board Of Health, the olloWlng
rrpor, is made TO the Mayor. for the intor-
nation of the Common Council OF AleIan'
Sra, by :hs Board OF Health.
That Oh the 18th Of July last. the Board
divided the town into nine districts. aiottng
O re member to each district, whose duty II
was made to attend particularly to the DIS
S,very and removal, as far as practicable Of
every thing injurious to the health OF the IN
hsbitan,s, which. with the aid OF the Super
in,eudan, of Police. has been strictly all
tended to.
On the sad Of August. in consequence OF
ramors of a malignant fever prevailing IN
some of the sea-ports of the United States,
as well a. in the West Indies, the Board
passed the following resolution, viz:-
Rs,oirei, That any vessel arriving at our
wharve, from an infected place. or otherwise
shall be boarded by ihe Assistant Health Vi
Rcer, aud if any sickness is there, or has
been on board, during her voyage, it shall be
HIS duty TO report the same 10 the Hesltn
Officer, aud il in his opinion her being al
7he wharf, will endanger the health OF the
town, he i. hereby authorised TO send her 10
ih- point called Jones'; there to remain unt'i
in bis opinion il may be safe for her TO return;
which has ever since been acted upon by the
Health Officer.
They further report. That an the ssth Of
August, in consequence o. some alarm, os-
casioued a few days previous, by The DEAN
ef two persons, lust arrived over land, from
Baltimore, and the captain OF a vessel from
Wilmington, n. G. with symptoms OF a ma
iign,nt fever, the Board called upon the
Health Officer COR Information relative to the
health OF the town, and received The 'atis-
factory information. that there did moi then
exist a case of malignant or contagious dis
ease TO bis knowledge, in town, and mat
h believed ihe health of the inhabitants as
good as generally, at that season OF the year.
For the Few weeks last past, the town has
been .icaly. but from the best ~'ormat'o
the Board could obtain, they were decided
il OF opinion there were tewer cases OF bl.
Inns fever in the town than 10 the country
adjacent, tax ing in the sane number OF IN
habit,nts.-Indeei, several Cases occurred
of fsni!ie, removing from the country to
+,yo for health, I'LL towards the latter end
OF last month, when the prevailing fever,
which was considered The same as prevails
in the country, began in a few cases to as
sume a more violent character, and within
the last tew days several cases bave occurred
that were considered malignant. The Board
are thoroughly convinced that the lever
which now prevails, is of domestic origin,
ami not sufficiently local TO enable them 10
designate any particular part OF the to"n to
remove the inhabitants from, even IT their
mower extended so f~ar-though they believe
the principal number of cases have original.
ed east of Royal street.
The Health Officer informs the Board, he
has had twelve ~patieats winch have had
symptoms of malignant fever, eight of which
lave died-and that there has come within
his knowledge, onIytwo new cases OF malig-
aant fever within the last six days.
As the season is now so far advanced, the
Board hope, tia, by due vigilance in keeping
The town properly cleans.d, the progress OF
the disease will soon he arrested.
(Sisnet) PHiNEASJANNT,
President Board of Health.
Nors-Since receiving the above report