Using a wealth of sources cited in the back of the book and including a number of primary sources, Jim Murphy details the outbreak of yellow fever that hit Philadelphia in 1793. Murphy's account is very thorough; although the focus is on the disease and how it spread virulently through the city, Murphy also discusses the political, economic, social, and medical consequences of the plague. While acknowledging the medical professions lack of knowledge of bacteria and viruses at the time, Murphy explains the reasoning behind the common theories at the time and details the efforts of several doctors, most notably the very vocal Dr. Benjamin Rush. He also explains the ensuing arguments among the medical professionals at the time about the causes and proper treatment of the fever. In fact, there were many doctors who, at first, were not even convinced that the illness they were fighting was indeed the dreaded yellow fever. He also addresses the number of citizens who fled the city to avoid the disease, citizens that included doctors and politicians. Primarily it was the wealthier citizens who had the option to flee, leaving the poor behind to suffer the worst of the illness. In fact, so many of the city's politician's left the city that the mayor, Matthew Clarkson, was forced to take control of the city in a way that was, technically, illegal, but entirely necessary under the circumstances. Even the President of the United States, George Washington, left the city for his home at Mount Vernon, though he did not initially intend to stay away as long as he ultimately did. In fact, he left without any of his important papers and documents, which caused a number of problems for the government and nearly brought it to a halt, as Congress could not safely convene in Philadelphia due to the plague, and many believed that it was unconstitutional for Congress to convene anywhere else. Murphy also highlights the contributions of the Free African Society, who organized many black nurses to help care for the sick. He points out that initially the doctors were convinced that blacks were immune to the disease, but this theory was ultimately disproved as many of the nurses and other black citizens contracted the illness. Murphy also tells about Bush Hill, a residence that was taken over and converted into a hospital. Murphy follows the plague to its end in Philadelphia but continues to follow its course through other outbreaks and, ultimately, the discovery of the source of the illness and the fact that it is spread by mosquitoes.
I chose to read this selection when I read about it in the textbook. The authors suggested using it as a companion text to Laurie Halse Anderson's
Fever 1793, which I had previously read. As our state begins to adopt the new Common Core standards, my job as an English teacher is going to change drastically. The focus will turn from fiction to non-fiction, so I thought that this text might be a good example of a non-fiction that would pair well with a fiction. Having now read both books, I could certainly see the two texts being used in an English course, but they actually might be more appropriate for use in a collaboration between the history and science departments--a collaboration not seen much at the high school level, but that could be quite powerful with the use of these texts. The history classes could focus on the political, social, and economic implications of the plague on the early years of our nation, while the science classes could look at the changes in the medical profession over time and the knowledge gained about bacteria, viruses, and the spread of disease. History teachers will also appreciate Murphy's use of primary sources in his text, and science teachers will enjoy lively class discussions about the ecological implications of using pesticides to control the mosquito population and the dangers of a yellow fever outbreak in the modern world.
References
Murphy, J. (2003). An American plague: The true and terrifying story of the yellow fever epidemic of
1793. New York: Clarion Books.
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