Orange County Virginia USGenWeb Archives News.....Died of the Disease Called Love August 14, 1868
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Angie Rapids angierapids@gmail.com March 26, 2023, 9:50 am

Native Virginian August 14, 1868
Died of the Disease Called Love

Last week a negro named Patrick Henry died in the city jail at Petersburg. Dr. 
Smith, physician to the jail testified that the deceased complained of nothing 
particularly, but lost his appetite, and seemed to be in a low melancholy 
condition. The doctor could persuade him to eat nothing, and his impression was 
that the negro died from morose depression and general debility. Saw him every 
day and watched him very closely - but saw no disease.

The jailor, Mr. Byram said:

The only complaint he ever heard from him, even up to the evening of his death, 
was an occasional pain in the head. Every attention was given him both by Dr. 
Smith and himself, and he was waited on by his fellow prisoners.

The Index adds:

The corroners Jury expressed themselves as satisfied with this evidence, and 
decided not to hear the testimony of the med who were confined in jail with the 
deceased. A verdict of death from natural cause was rendered.

This natural cause is roughly guessed to use Dr. Bagby's phrase to have been 
"the Disease called Love," though he is the first negro we ever heard of, who 
died of such a disease. He is known to have been attached to a white woman of 
low character, who was also recently in jail. When he heard that she was 
released, he took to grief, ate nothing and died.

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/va/orange/newspapers/diedofth51nnw.txt

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