Some account of the last yellow fever epidemic of British Guiana / by Daniel Blair ; edited by John Davy.

Date:
1850
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: Some account of the last yellow fever epidemic of British Guiana / by Daniel Blair ; edited by John Davy. Source: Wellcome Collection.

Provider: This material has been provided by the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh. The original may be consulted at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh.

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    facade, extending nearly east and west, has the advantage of being cooled and dried during the greater part of the year by the Trade Winds. At about the centre of the sea facade of British Guiana, at the mouth of the Demerara River, stands the capital of the colony, Georgetown, having Essequebo on the extreme west, or leeward of the coast, and Berbice (with its chief town and sea port, New Amsterdam,) on its extreme east, or windward of the coast. Georgetown is laid out in rectangular streets of great width generally, and is composed chiefly of wooden houses, stilted several feet from the surface of the ground on pillars, and separated from each other by gardens with flowering shrubs, and fruit and ornamental trees. The houses, with their open windows, jalousies, and galleries, may be considered as having the functions of huge umbrellas, and intended to keep off the sun and rain only. At the time of the late epidemic, when Georgetown contained less than 20,000 inhabitants, it covered an area of nearly two miles. The prevention of extensive fires, the open exposed nature of the habitations, and a proper regard for ventilation, required this roominess of the city. Two por- tions of Georgetown, however, were and are exceptions to this general description, viz. the mercantile parts, Water Street and Robb's Town. There the houses are nearly in contact, and instead of a construction of open pillars, or uninhabited cellars, the ground-floors are used and occupied during the day as shops or stores. It was in this portion of the city that the yellow fever epidemic of 1837 was most prevalent, as it was in America Street (the then mercantile part of the town) that the epidemic chiefly prevailed in 1819. Robb's Town has no peculiarity, except that of the houses being huddled together, but Water Street has others. Its highway is formed by the embankment that prevents the overflow of the river-tide, and one side of the street, comprehending stores, dwellings, kitchens, stables, &c. &c, is built on the bed of the river itself, supported above the level of the water by piles and platforms. This side of the street is designated the Mud Lots of Water Street. To almost every mud lot there is also attached a stelling, or landing wharf, composed of piles with a platform from four to seven feet broad, and extending beyond the buildings into the shelving clay bed of the river. Seven public stellings, at several intervals, keep up a free communication between the city and the