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Paul Revere as President of the Board of Health...
Paul Revere as President of the Board of Health...
Item # 718297
July 05, 1800
COLUMBIAN CENTINEL, Boston, July 5, 1800
* Paul Revere
* Board of Health
The top of page 4 has a detailed report from the: "Health Office" which is signed in type by its President: P. Revere. Beneath this are two reward ads for deserters, one from the brig Atalanta, and the other a deserter from Fort Independence.
Four pages, never-trimmed margins, very nice condition.
AI notes: In the June 26, 1800 report by the Boston Board of Health, scavengers played a crucial role in the city’s fight against yellow fever by serving as early sanitation workers responsible for removing sources of disease. Under the leadership of Paul Revere, the Board organized the cleanup of unsanitary areas, and scavengers were tasked with clearing 137 vaults of human waste, 36 heaps of rotting matter, and draining 13 stagnant cellars and ponds. Though the germ theory of disease was not yet known, the Board understood that filth and foul odors were linked to sickness, and scavengers were essential in eliminating these “nuisances” from the city. Their work reflected an early form of environmental health action, helping to prevent the spread of disease through improved urban cleanliness and setting a precedent for modern public sanitation efforts.
Category: Pre-Civil War
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