“ jaune, que vous avez adopté ma doctrine sur cette maladie, telle que je l’ai enseignée et publiée il y a 13 ans dans votre pais, dans un ouvrage intitulé an enquiry into, and observations upon the causes and effects of the epidemic disease which raged in philadelphia from the month of august till towards the middle of december, 1793. By jean deveze etc. etc. printed By parent philadelphia 1794.

"l’exemplaire de la dissertation que j’ai l’honneur de vous presenter aujourdhui, ne differe de mon premier ouvrage que par l’ordre et la methode de la redaction . . .”

Several appeals on behalf of Devèze were made to Jefferson, as President, who replied to all in the same terms. The reply to P. A. Adet [see no. 834], who had written a strong letter from Nevers on March 6, will serve to explain Jefferson’s point of view. Jefferson’s letter is dated from Washington, June 29, 1806: “ D ^r. Deveze, who is the subject of your letter of Mar. 3. had I believe great merit in the services he rendered in Philadelphia on the first visitation of the Yellow fever in ’93. the courage with which he exposed himself to it, when it’s novelty frightened away the physicians & inhabitants of the place, marked a mind of superior benevolence. he was among the earliest too in noting the fact that it is not infectious. experience has since well established that opinion. not but that there are still respectable physicians who maintain the contrary, supporting themselves by so extending the definition of Yellow fever , as to comprehend fevers having strong features of distinction. still it is unquestionable that that fever which has afflicted our cities since 1793. & is particularly distinguished by the name of yellow fever has never been communicated but by going into the particular part of a town where it prevails . . . with respect to D ^r. Deveze’s request of some acknolegement for his services, your knolege of our constitution enables you to say that the general government is restrained to the exercise of those powers only which are enumerated in the constitution, that all others are reserved to the state governments, & consequently the remuneration of discoveries or improvements in the arts & sciences, & services rendered to the public health. his application can of course be recieved by the government of Pensylvania only to which state the service was rendered. the general government cautiously refrains from intermedling in the concerns of the separate states. I hope D ^r. Deveze will see in these considerations the obstacles which forbid the interference of our national government in this case, while in my personal sentiments & esteem I render him the justice he merits . . . ”

Jean Devèze, 1753-1829, French physician, had himself had yellow fever at Martinique. He happened to be in Philadelphia at the time of the first outbreak of yellow fever in 1793, and gave his services throughout the epidemic. It was then that he discovered that it was not contagious, and wrote the account of it described above.

Matthew Livingston Davis, 1773-1850, the friend and biographer of Aaron Burr. Davis was introduced to Jefferson by Edward Livingston in an undated letter (now in the Massachusetts Historical Society collections).