An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793 by Jim Murphy
Murphy, Jim. 2003. An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793. Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. ISBN-13: 9780395776087.
Terrifying is right. To read this book is to be transported back in time to see first-hand the misery that befell Philadelphia in 1793. Fear and widespread panic, worthless remedies, and wretched suffering affected every corner of the city. Doctors battled it out - arguing in defense of their own countermeasures. The death toll increased on a daily basis and prominent government officials, namely President Washington, along with much of the city's well-to-do-population, exiled themselves to the countryside. With the city government barely able to function, others found themselves obligated to step up and take care of the gravely ill. One grandiose home was even transformed into a makeshift hospital for the shocking number of ailing patients - while the owner himself was away and unaware. Though the medical community was facing a stalemate, important experiments involving the mosquito were just beginning. Important correlations were drawn between the filth of the city, standing water, dead animals, and extreme summer temperatures. Not only does this book capture the essence of a crippled city, it continues beyond the plague so readers can follow the city's return to the familiar hustle and bustle. Attention grabbing, well documented, and related to the modern era's struggle with yellow fever, this story is intriguing and certainly eye-opening.
"In marked contrast to the clipped, suspenseful pace of his Inside the Alamo, Murphy here adopts a leisurely, lyrical tone to chronicle the invisible spread of the deadly disease that not only crippled Philadelphia (then temporary capital of the U.S.) but also set off a constitutional crisis. The author evokes the stifling August heat as well as the boiling controversy surrounding President Washington's decision not to support the French in the war against Britain. The residents, so distracted by the controversy, did not take note of the rising numbers of dead animals lying in open "sinks," or sewers; swarms of insects festering, and a growing population of ill citizens climbing until the church bells tolled grim news of death almost constantly. Murphy injects the events with immediacy through his profiles of key players, such as local doctors who engaged in fierce debates as to the cause, treatment and nature of the "unmerciful enemy"--among them the famous Benjamin Rush. The text documents many acts of heroism, including the Free African Society's contributions of food, medicine and home care: the Society was rewarded afterwards only with injustice. Archival photographs and facsimiles of documents bring the story to life, and a list of further reading points those interested in learning more in the right direction. This comprehensive history of the outbreak and its aftermath lays out the disputes within the medical community and, as there is still no cure, offers a cautionary note."
Publishers Weekly; March 10, 2003, Vol. 250 Issue 10.
In this superbly written work, Murphy thoroughly examines the yellow fever plague of 1793 that paralyzed the city of Philadelphia for several months. Every aspect of the epidemic is brought to life, from the overall living conditions in Philadelphia just prior to the outbreak to the Constitutional crisis that seemed imminent because of President Washington's inability to convene Congress in a plague-ridden city. The disease itself is covered from symptoms to cause, as are the eighteenth-century treatments for yellow fever: bleeding and isolation. Murphy ends with bringing the reader up to date on the state of this terrible disease, including the chilling revelation that there is still no cure for yellow fever. This book represents nonfiction at its best. Although the subject matter does not cover typical teen reading choices, Murphy's book is extremely accessible and readable. The story is captivating, and the writing is straightforward. Readers come away with a sense of the era as a whole and a keen picture of the overall devastation brought by yellow fever. The text is followed by an outstanding annotated bibliography, which includes ample primary source material, including diaries, newspapers, and numerous manuscripts and pamphlets written during and just after the outbreak. Murphy provides an excellent choice for most school and public libraries.
-Sarah Dornback.
Voice of Youth Advocates; December 01, 2003.
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