By Carlton
Maybach
The
Free African Society is helping yellow fever patients in Philadelphia. Dr.
Benjamin Rush, one of our leading physicians, believes that Africans cannot
contract the yellow fever. Because of this, he said that Africans should work
and help the fever patients. Africans are now in hospitals and other care
facilities taking care of yellow fever patients. They are working as nurses,
cart drivers and grave diggers.
“This
is the best option for these most desperate of times,” said Dr. Rush.
Every
day the death toll rises from this horrible sickness. Up to 20 people a day are
dying from this illness.
The Free
African society was created in 1787 by Richard Allen and Absalom Jones as a
non-denominational religious organization to serve the spiritual, economic and
social needs of Philadelphia’s African community.
“We visited upwards of twenty families on the first day,” said
Allen, a Methodist preacher. “They were scenes of woe indeed! The Lord was
plentiful to strengthen us, and removed all fear from us.”
Dr. Rush
said the help of the Africans has been valuable. “They have been of great use
during this grave crisis and are helping us as best as they can,” said Dr. Rush.
Some of
the locals think that this might be a turnaround of the yellow fever, while
others are skeptical about help from Africans.
“The
Free African Society is a joke and I’d rather die than be cared for by them,”
said Jacob Ross, a citizen of Philadelphia.