[1] Many of the preceding statements are the result of an extensive personal observation; for others, the work is indebted to McCulloch, a compilation of considerable value, but, unfortunately, not always to be relied on as authority. In some points, he is glaringly incorrect.
[2] The new constitution of Louisiana prescribes that the legislature shall establish free schools throughout the state, appoint a superintendent of education, and provide means for defraying the expense by taxation. The proceeds from the sale of all public lands granted by the United States, the estates of deceased persons escheating to the state, as well as certain other named emoluments, are to remain a perpetual fund, sacredly to be applied to the support of such schools. A provision is also to be made for establishing a college in the city of New Orleans, to be called the University of Louisiana, to consist of four faculties, viz. law, medicine, the natural sciences and letters—of which the Medical College of Louisiana, as now organized, is to constitute the faculty of medicine. The legislature is to be under no obligations to contribute to the support of this institution by appropriations.
[3] For many satisfactory particulars, see McCulloch's Commercial Dictionary, under article Madder.
[4] See New Orleans Medical Journal, vol. 1, part 2, July, 1844.
Typographical errors in spelling and punctuation repaired; variant spellings changed when there was a clear majority.
The following variant spellings were retained: "depot" (used for New Orleans) and "depôt" (used for rail-road); "moschetoes" and "mosquitoes"; "enquir" and "inquir" roots (used equally); "Pittsburg" (Miss.) and "Pittsburgh" (Pa.); "Cleaveland" (Ohio) (per Columbia Gazetteer of the World, this was the original name, after its founder Moses Cleaveland); "Zimple" and "Zimpel"; "regime" and "régime."
Hyphenation variants changed to majority use (with priority on usage in headings and text, over usage in index or tables); retained when equal (wood-lands and woodlands, re-transferred and retransferred, pre-eminence and preeminently). "steam-boat" and "steam boat" changed to "steamboat" except on p. 27, where "Steam Boat" is used for the first appearance of a new technology.
Punctuation after chapter and section headings, and illustration captions (periods, commas, no punctuation) was inconsistent; standardized to no punctuation. Brackets around "see Route" references changed to more frequent parentheses.
P. 20, "Vandreuil" corrected to "Vaudreuil."
P. 73, Meteorological table has been split for better displaying (text only).
P. 84, "inexaustible" changed to "inexhaustible."
P. 103, "Diocess" retained; per Oxford English Dictionary (OED) correct for time period.
P. 147, "Tchapitoulas" corrected to "Tchoupitoulas."
P. 174, "cotemporaries" retained; per OED, this was a common period variant for contemporaries.
P. 205, Route 4; "Tombigkbe" changed to "Tombigbee."
P. 206, Savannah. Original shows cumulative miles 2196. Transposition repaired.
P. 206, Route 10 heading, "Ala." to more frequent "Al."
P. 213, index; originally left justified "Seven blocks" now indented under "Fire consumes."
P. 222, index; originally left justified "Branch Bank" now indented under "United States."
The following discrepancies in route tables were retained as shown in
the original:
P. 202, Smithfield, "1" in original would add up to 1086 cumulative
(11 mile discrepancy).
P. 203, Greenupsburg, "13" in original would add up to 1675
cumulative (1 mile discrepancy). Georgetown "7" and Beaver "13"
appear to be averaged, since each addition does not add up, but their
cumulative addition (20 miles from Welleville to Beaver) does add up.