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Subject: [MAWORCES] Ravages of Smallpox, Lancaster (and Boston)
Date: Mon, 23 Oct 2006 21:35:09 EDT
Subject: Ravages of Smallpox, Lancaster, 1810.
Source: History of the Town of Lancaster, Massachusetts by Rev. Abijah P.
Marvin, Lancaster,
Published by the Town. 1879.
p.408
The ravages of smallpox received the attention of the Legislature and a law
was passed giving the towns increased power to deal with the evil. Therefore
the town held a meeting, May 7, 1810, in compliance with the law, and chose a
committee of five:
Eli Stearns
Moses Emerson
Merrick Rice
John Maynard
John Thurston
to "superintend the inoculation of the cow-pox." The inhabitants were
required to assemble in the several school-houses at specified times, for the
purpose of being inoculated.
p.409
Three days later a special meeting was called by "personal notice," that is,
by leaving a notification of the meeting at each voter's residence
twenty-four hours before the time of the meeting. The town was alarmed by an epidemic
fever which prevailed at the time. It appears that the Selectmen had called
in physicians from other towns, in addition to those residing here, and the
town voted to authorize the fathers of the town to "pay those physicians whom
they have employed from other towns the charges they have against persons
unable to pay such charges, and afford further supplies to such as are sick and
in distress."
Transcribed by Janice Farnsworth
Plagues by State - TOWN
Boston.
Online source. See url below.
MA, Boston, 1/1/1666, Small pox in Boston
A smallpox outbreak struck Boston, but was relatively mild, and only about
40 people died.
MA, Boston, 1/1/1677, Smallpox in Boston
1677-78 Another smallpox epidemic in Boston was much worse than the 1666
epidemic, and killed several of the town leaders.
MA, Boston, 1/1/1702, Smallpox
Smallpox hit Boston again. This time about 300 died, but a simultaneous
outbreak of scarlet fever makes it hard to assess who died from what.
MA, Boston, 1/1/1721, Small pox
Smallpox struck Boston again, with about 6000 people affected in a total
population of 11,000, of whom 844
died. This epidemic prompted the first use of inoculation against smallpox
in the New World.
MA, Boston, 1/1/1729, Measles
MA, Boston, 1/1/1739, Measles
MA, Boston, 1/1/1763, Smallpox
1763-64 Smallpox hit Boston once again, with about 170 deaths. This epidemic
was less serious than previous ones, probably because of inoculation.
_http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/3959/Plagstate.htm_
(http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Plains/3959/Plagstate.htm)
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