Summary

To seek treatment for his infection, a free nègre named Pierre Almanzor sought help from the king’s doctor. Exhausting other resources, Almanzor depended on Prat to cure him. Pierre Almanzor negotiated an agreement so that once he became healthy again he would work for five years for Doctor Prat without wages in return for the treatment he received.

Transcription
Translation
Notes

Transcription (French, diplomatic)

[feuille 1 recto] [digital 2]

[Marginalia:]
Mars 2
1737
almanzor
negre
Engagement
A M^r. prat

(2004.)
F^o. S

(7960.)

fut present en sa personne pierre almanzor
Negre Libre Lequel se trouvant attaqué dune
maladie
venerienne et estant yndispensable partous les
sintomes [symptômes]
de la faire passer par les grands Remedes nous a
declaré
quil n[‘]avez [n’avait] pour se faire traitter cequil
desire cependant
attendu le Risque ou Il est de perir
Indubittablement [;]
et pour cet Effet s[‘]est Engagé volontairement et
sans
Contrainte pour servir Mr. Prat medecin du Roy
pendant
L[‘]espace de Cinq ans soit en qualité de Cuisinier
ou
autres choses a quoy Il pourra se Rendre utile
excepté
a travailler a la hache et a la terre et ce moyennant
le
tem[p]s et espaces de cinq années devolues et
accomplies [;]
lesquelles commenceront a courir du tem[p]s quil
sera
parfaitement guery pendant lequel tem[p]s monsr.
sieur
Prat L’entretiendra suivant sa qualité, au moyen de
quoy
Il s[‘]oblige de le traiter medicamenter et
alimenter et luy
Fournir tous les remedes nouritures et ustenciles
qui luy seront necessaires pendant sa maladie et
luy
donner tous ses soins pour tacher de le guerir
Radicalement ainsy quils sont convenus[;]
promet[tant]
Obligeant [&] Renon[cant] fait et passé a la
n^[ouvel]le orleans [faded]
En [L’]Etude lan mil sept cent trente sept le
deuxieme
mars presence des sieurs francois gautreau [page
déchirée] [garde magasin]
du Roy et Couturier temoins y demeurant
et led^[it] almanzor declaré ne scavoir [page
déchirée] [Ecrire] ny Signer
de ce Enquis suivant l[‘]ord^[onnan]ce.

[Signé:] Couturier
[Signé:] Prat
[Signé:] Gautreau
[Signé:] Henry

Translation (English, modern)

[page # 1] [digital 2]

[Marginal note:]
March 2nd
1737

Almanzor
negre
Engagement
To Mr Prat

(2004.)
F^o. S

(7960.)

[Before the Council] Pierre Almanzor¹ himself, free nègre,* finding himself afflicted by a venereal disease² and [it] being essential, because of all the symptoms, to cure it with the great remedy [mercury]², declared to us that although he does not have enough [money] to be treated, he nevertheless desires this, without a doubt, even given the risk of dying[;] and for this purpose he has committed himself voluntarily and without constraint to serve Monsieur Prat, doctor of the king, for five years either as a cook or in any other capacity in which He will be able to make himself useful, except working with the axe and on the land, and this, in return for the time and interval of five years allotted and completed; which will run once he is completely cured, during which time Monsieur Prat will maintain him as befits his position, by which he obliges himself to treat, medicate, and feed him and to provide him all the remedies, food and utensils which will be necessary for him during his illness and give him all his care in order to attempt to cure him completely, such as they have agreed, promising, obliging, and renouncing, made and approved in New Orleans in the notary’s office, the year one thousand seven hundred and thirty-seven, the second of March, [in the] presence of Sieurs François Gautreau [page torn] [store guard] of the king and Couturier, witnesses residing there, and the aforementioned Almanzor declared not knowing how [page torn] [to write] nor to sign, in accordance with the ordinance.

[Signed:] Couturier
[Signed:] [Jean] Prat
[Signed:] [François] Gautreau
[Signed:] [Nicolas] Henry

Notes