[Footnote 4:  MS. bound volume, “Plantation Manual,” among the Hammond papers in the Library of Congress.]

For the care of the sick, of course, all these planters were solicitous.  Acklen, Manigault and Weston provided that mild cases be prescribed for by the overseer in the master’s absence, but that for any serious illness a doctor be summoned.  One of Telfair’s women was a semi-professional midwife and general practitioner, permitted by her master to serve blacks and whites in the neighborhood.  For home needs Telfair wrote of her:  “Elsey is the doctoress of the plantation.  In case of extraordinary illness, when she thinks she can do no more for the sick, you will employ a physician.”  Hammond, however, was such a devotee of homeopathy that in the lack of an available physician of that school he was his own practitioner.  He wrote in his manual:  “No negro will be allowed to remain at his own house when sick, but must be confined to the hospital.  Every reasonable complaint must be promptly attended to; and with any marked or general symptom of sickness, however trivial, a negro may lie up a day or so at least....  Each case has to be examined carefully by the master or overseer to ascertain the disease.  The remedies next are to be chosen with the utmost discrimination; ... the directions for treatment, diet, etc., most implicitly followed; the effects and changes cautiously observed....  In cases where there is the slightest uncertainty, the books must be taken to the bedside and a careful and thorough examination of the case and comparison of remedies made before administering them.  The overseer must record in the prescription book every dose of medicine administered.”  Weston said he would never grudge a doctor’s bill, however large; but he was anxious to prevent idleness under pretence of illness.  “Nothing,” said he, “is so subversive of discipline, or so unjust, as to allow people to sham, for this causes the well-disposed to do the work of the lazy.”

Pregnancy, childbirth and the care of children were matters of special concern.  Weston wrote:  “The pregnant women are always to do some work up to the time of their confinement, if it is only walking into the field and staying there.  If they are sick, they are to go to the hospital and stay there until it is pretty certain their time is near.”  “Lying-in women are to be attended by the midwife as long as is necessary, and by a woman put to nurse them for a fortnight.  They will remain at the negro houses for four weeks, and then will work two weeks on the highland.  In some cases, however, it is necessary to allow them to lie up longer.  The health of many women has been ruined by want of care in this particular.”  Hammond’s rules were as follows:  “Sucklers are not required to leave their homes until sunrise, when they leave their children at the children’s house before going to field.  The period of suckling is twelve months.  Their work lies always within