Manuscript medical certificate
Title:
Manuscript medical certificate
Description:
In this fragment of a certificate, Dr. J. H. Fairfax notes that he has examined an enslaved woman named “Alsy, belonging to the estate of R[. . . ?] in the employment of Mr. Charles Mothershead and find her to be labouring under a ‘procidentia uteri, or falling down of the womb,’” a prolapsed uterus. This condition sometimes occurs after childbirth and can be caused by severe beatings. Fairfax determined that Alsy “may be made usefull by the application of an instrument properly adjusted, to keep the part from coming down.”
Creator:
Fairfax, J. H.
Date:
1831
Coverage:
Westmoreland County, Virginia
Display Date:
21 February 1831
Hover Text:
Alsy — enslaved woman
Published Item:
U
Item Index:
19
Item Sort:
1800s
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