Unrecorded broadside informing the citizens of Delft of the best ways to save drowning (and drowned) people. Apparently, recovered drown victims that showed no signs of life were typically left on the waterfront with their feet dipped into the water. However, the present broadside (or "plakkaat" in Dutch) states that they had to be brought to the nearest house or inn instead, where a physician had to be called as soon as possible, as the victim might still be alive. The broadside was sent to every inn within the jurisdiction of Delft at the time, so it must have been printed many times. However, it is now exceptionally rare, as we have not been able to trace any other copies.
Drowning was a common cause of death in the Netherlands in the 18th century, as few people were able to swim. It was especially common in cities, where people would fall into the canals after a night out. To counter this, the Maatschappij tot Redding van Drenkelingen (society for the rescue of drowning people) was founded in Amsterdam in 1767, which instructed people of the proper ways to save or rescuscitate drown victims. The present broadside is an official publication of the city of Delft. It was printed shortly after the establishment of the Maatschappij and was likely intended to counter misinformation. It offers a fascinating insight into the effects the Maatschappij had on Dutch society in the first few years of its existence.
The work is slightly browned and the edges are somewhat frayed, with a tear and the loss of a portion of material in the right margin, further with horizontal and vertical folds, which are starting to tear around the edges of the leaf, and a small hole near the bottom where two folds meet. Otherwise in good condition. Not in Delpher; Stadsarchief Delft; WorldCat.