AN AMERICAN PLAGUE: THE TRUE AND TERRIFYING STORY OF THE YELLOW FEVER EPIDEMIC OF 1793

Written by Jim Murphy

ISBN: 9780395776087

Bibliography:
Murphy, Jim. 2003. An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793. New York: Clarion Books.

Plot:
This award winning book accurately details the historical events surrounding the yellow fever outbreak of 1793 in Philadelphia.

Analysis:
Much research was compiled into the creation of this terrifying story as Murphy cites over ninety different sources that include firsthand accounts, historical documents, and books on a variety of supporting topics. Murphy delivers a clear sequence of information that covers many aspects of the plague such as the first case of Yellow Fever in Philadelphia, the many ways doctors attempted to treat the ravaging disease, the volunteers that stayed behind to provide care for the sick, the link between mosquitoes and Yellow Fever, and advances in medicine.

Features such as a table of contents, a detailed reference list, and an index are included as well as historical pictures, maps, paintings, newspaper clippings, letters, and other public records which bring this historical tragedy to life. Murphy carefully considers a multitude of viewpoints from that of basic citizens, doctors, government officials, nurses, community leaders, and volunteers from the Free African Society. The descriptive account of the yellow fever epidemic ends with the following warning: “This disease will eventually emerge to challenge us again. And when it does, we will have to overcome our fears and be prepared to confront it.”


Review Excerpts:
Booklist: “History, science, politics, and public health come together in this dramatic account of the disastrous yellow fever epidemic that hit the nation's capital more than 200 years ago. Drawing on firsthand accounts, medical and non-medical, Murphy re-creates the fear and panic in the infected city, the social conditions that caused the disease to spread, and the arguments about causes and cures. With archival prints, photos, contemporary newspaper facsimiles that include lists of the dead, and full, chatty source notes, he tells of those who fled and those who stayed--among them, the heroic group of free blacks who nursed the ill and were later vilified for their work.”

Horn Book: “Murphy culls from a number of historical records the story of the yellow fever epidemic that swept Philadelphia, skillfully drawing out the fear and drama of the time and making them immediate to modern readers. Attentive to telling detail, Murphy offers representative images, from black-and-white portraits to plague scenes. Thoroughly documented, with an annotated source list, the work is both rigorous and inviting.”

Connections:
*Other books about yellow fever:
Cefrey, Holly. Yellow Fever. ISBN: 9780823934898
Pierce, John R. Yellow Jack : How Yellow Fever Ravaged America and Walter Reed Discovered Its Deadly Secrets. ISBN 9780471472612

*Compare the yellow fever epidemic with other epidemics.