The Court, Bench, And Bar Of Delaware County.

David Garrett, in March, 1881, was elected recorder of the city of Chester. He died the following August.

Criers. - As far as I have ascertained the following persons have been appointed criers of the court: Aug. 28, 1843, William Thompson; May 24, 1852, William Beeby; Nov. 22, 1858, Samuel Otty.

On Dec. 4, 1871, the Law Library Association of the members of the Delaware County bar was formed, and Hon. John M. Broomall was elected the first president and Charles D. Manley secretary. The association was incorporated by the court May 30, 1872.

Physicians And Medical Societies.

It is very likely that the Swedish home authorities in preparing for the colonization of the Delaware, fully aware of the necessity which might arise for the services of a physician, took the precaution to include among the earliest settlers some person skilled in the art of medicine as then practiced, and capable of performing ordinary surgical operations. Of this, however, no positive evidence has thus far been discovered. Governor Printz, in his expedition, which reached its destination Feb. 16, 1643, was accompanied by a surgeon (then called a barber), but history has failed, as far as known, to record the name of the first disciple of Esculapius who thus located on our shores. The report of Governor Printz for 1647¹ informs us that "the reason so many people died in the year 1643 was that in the commencement of the settlements they had hard work and but little to eat." Previous to this, in 1641-42, sickness prevailed on the Delaware to such an extent that it scattered the English colony at Salem, and it is alleged that the Swedes also suffered severely from it. In 1647 the influenza visited the colony as a scourge, and it is recorded that "such as bled or used cooling drinks died, such as used cordials or more strengthening things recovered for the most part." The summer and fall of 1658 the Delaware River settlements were visited by severe illness. We are told by Alrichs,² in a letter dated June 26th of that year, that "sickness and hot fevers (are) prevailing here have kept us back badly and made many pining." On August 9th he writes, "A general fever-like disease has raged here again for some time and it is prevailing much among the inhabitants. The Lord pleased to take us into his merciful protection and relieve many weak people from it." October 7th, he states, "A burning and violent fever rages badly . . . but few old ones have died, but rather many young children who could not endure it." Alrich also wrote respecting this epidemic, "our situation, which is certainly very disheartening by an ardent prevailing fever and other diseases, by which the large majority of the inhabitants are oppressed and broken down; besides that our barber (surgeon) died, and another, well acquainted with his profession, is sick."³

³ Note to "Contribution to Medical History," by Dr. Casper Morris, "Pennsylvania Historical Society Memoir," vol, i.