Letter, Type Undetermined

Concerning hospital to be erected at New Port Rhode Island

Letter, alludes to Invalid pensions; discusses establishment of public hospital; describes quarantine of yellow fever and infectious diseases; recommends Doctor Lenter to take charge of hospital.

Letter, dis public hospital.

1799

08

10

Newport

James McHenry

William Ellery

Horace

General Arnold

Gen. Hamilton

Gen. Greene

Capt. Perry

Dr. Isaac Lenter

George Washington

Captain Fletcher

London Medical Society

medical societies in the United States

Surgeon General

surgeon

health officers

Purveyor

town council

seamen

sailors

Secretary of the Treasury

Newport

United States

London

Newport

West Indies

Coaster's Harbour Island

United States

Rhode Island

advice

character

recommendation

hospital

public service

harbor

Revolutionary War

public hospital

sickness

yellow fever

small pox

ship

monies

request your influence with that gentleman

recollect the good advice of Horace, consider over and over again the character of the person whom you would recommend lest his faults should cover you with shame

senior surgeon during the revolutionary war superintending one of the hospitals in the northern department

without a public hospital their accommodation will be very uncertain expensive and desertions will take place

twenty of her men had died on board in the course of twelve or fourteen days and a number of them were sick

erected for the reception of persons afflicted with the small pox or other infectious distempers

object of his communication was confined to the provision for the temporary relief and support of sick and disabled seamen in public & private service

monies collected in the state of Rhode Island would be expended under my direction and that it was the object of the law that the expenditures of the fund for temporary relief should be at the hospitals or other institutions now established in the ports of the United States

1799081040001

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[Rotate 90 degrees clockwise)
Rough draft of a Letter
To the Secretary of War concerng
the Hospital to be erected in
Newport, and recommending
Dr. Lenter to the care of it.
Augt.10 - 1799
Newport Augt 10th 1799

Sirs,


On the 4th of June last I received from the
dated May 24th, 1799

Secretary of Treasury, with the copy of an Act in addition
to an Act for the relief of sick and disabled seamen, and
advising me that it was hoped that that an arrangement
could have been formed before that time for the establishment
of a permanent hospitals; that it appeared however this subject
had been placed by [Shellet] of the East session to regulate the
medical establishment under the immediate superintendence
of the Physician General and that the object of his communica-
tion was confined to a provision for the temporary relief and
support of sick and disabled seamen in public and private services. ----
that for the present the monies collected in the state of Rhode
Island would be apended under my direction, and that it was
the object of the Law that the expenditures of the funds
for temporary relief should be at the hospitals or other institutions
now established in the ports of the United States.
On an island about two miles from this town called Coaster's
Harbour, and separate from Rhode Island by a narrow channel
is an hospital belonging to the town, erected for the reception
of persons afflicted with the small pox or other infectious
distempers. At the time I received the Secretary's letter several
persons sick with the small pox were in the hospital. Not long after
and before the hospital was cleared the General Green George Washington Captain
Fletcher arrived here from the West Indies with a number of
sick, who were placed in a house procured for them by the
Purveyor I had appointed. The people in the neighborhood were alarmed
with apprehensions of the yellow fever and the alarm spread through
the town like wildfire. The Town Council met, sent for and told me
that they must be removed to a greater distance, or be returned to the
ship. I told them that prior to the arrival of the ship that great pains had
been taken to find a place in the outskirts of the town, but no one
one could be found, that if a more suitable place could be hired, they
should be immediately removed; but it would be death to them to be
sent back to the ship; and that Dr. Lenter had informed me that
this disease was not the yellow fever. -- The health officers and the
Purveyor were immediately dispatched to search for a more suitable
place. No one could be procured, and there they continued until all
under the skillful management of that Physician had
recovered excepting two who are now convalescents and one who
died of a consumption. ------ On the 27th of the last month the
Genl. Greene Capt. Perry arrived in this harbour. Twenty of her men had

in the course of twelve or fourteen days

died on board and a number of them were sick and it was said of
the yellow fever. The apprehensions of the town were excited and
to a greater degree if possible than before. Happily the hospital
was free of sickness and all the sick about thirty five in number
were admitted into and placed by the Town Council under the
dir care of Dr. Lenter & the my Purveyor, and a guard appointed to
prevent any communication between Coaster's harbour & the Town.
Three of them are already recovered and are sent to the Ship.
the major part of them will be returned to here in a few days, and
the remainder of them, probably, by the time the ship is ready to sail.

I have been particular in this narration because I am informed

that a public hospital is about to be erected in this port, that its position
is to be determined by you and Genl. Hamilton, and that
this only is wanting to its erection. The excellency of the harbour
of Newport and the salubrity of our Air will invite many of
our Ships of War to resort to it, more or less of their crews,
according to the places where they have cruised, will be sick,
and without a public hospital their accommodation will be
very uncertain expensive, and desertions will take place.
Four of the Genl. Greene's men, altho' sick, and not withstanding
the guard, deserted. ---- For those reasons, and for the safety
and the satisfaction of the Town, it is the universal desire that
a public hospital should be built as soon as possible.

I have mentioned Dr. Lenter several times in this

letter. His success hath been so great and his skill is so
that it is conceived the public service will be promoted
by his appointment to the charge of the hospital to be
erected here. I am a stranger to the Physic General.
If I were as well acquainted with him as I have had the
honours of being acquainted with you I should not hesitate
to recommend Dr. Isaac Lenter to him for the appointment.

Permit me, Sir, to request your influence with that

gentleman in his behalf. While I am writing I
recollect Th the good advice of Horace, consider over
and over again the character of the person who you
would recommend, least his faults should cover you
with shame. Dr. Lenter He is the first Physician in this
town and State. He is a member of the London medical
Society and of all or most of the medical Societies in the
United States, and it is not his least praise that
he deserved these honours. --- You may rely upon it, Sir,
that no shame shall [ - ac - or ever?] attach to you, if by your influence
he should receive this appointment.
I am with great esteem & respect

Sir, yr [ ] servant


[Left Margin]
Dr. Lenter served as a Junior Surgeon during the revolutionary war, superintending one
of the hospitals in the northern detachment under General Arnold S[-]