Yellow Fever in 1793
Yellow Fever
In the year 1793, yellow fever was a dreaded disease. One reason for this fear was that nobody knew where the disease originated. Also, the symptoms were so severe that being diagnosed with yellow fever was considered a death sentence. It caused epidemics before all around the world, especially in places where people had little or no immunity. In the summer of 1793, the disease struck Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -the U.S.'s capitol and largest city-harder than it ever had before.
Origins
Yellow fever is a tropical disease, and at that point was most commonly found in places such as Africa or Central America. It was carried to Philadelphia in ships full of refugees from Hati (then called Saint Domonigue). It was carried around the city by mosquitoes, who would bite an infected person, contract the disease, and then bite an uninfected person and transfer it to them.
Symptoms
The symptoms of yellow fever come in stages. At first, there is muscle pain which persists for a few days, but then goes away for a day or so and comes back along with yellow coloring in the eyes and skin, bloody vomit, and chills. Often blood will start oozing from places such as the gums and under the fingernails.
Treatments
There was a big controversy over the treatment of yellow fever. The English and American doctors were led by Dr Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and one of the leading doctors in Philadelphia. Dr. Jean Deveze, a French refugee from Hati, had different methods of treatment. Dr. Rush often used "heroic" methods of treatment such as bleeding and purging, while Dr. Deveze prescribed bed rest and fluids such as sweet wine. Here are a list of a few of the treatments. "E" stands for English, and "F" stands for French. The treatments that are listed in red did not work, and the ones in green were more effective.
The people that were most affected were anybody who stayed, but mostly the poor who did not have anywhere to go outside the city and could not afford good medical treatment. About 20,000 people fled the city because of the epidemic. It is estimated that 5,000 people died that summer. Dr, Rush at first believed that African Americans could not catch yellow fever, but actually around 240 o
In the year 1793, yellow fever was a dreaded disease. One reason for this fear was that nobody knew where the disease originated. Also, the symptoms were so severe that being diagnosed with yellow fever was considered a death sentence. It caused epidemics before all around the world, especially in places where people had little or no immunity. In the summer of 1793, the disease struck Philadelphia, Pennsylvania -the U.S.'s capitol and largest city-harder than it ever had before.
Origins
Yellow fever is a tropical disease, and at that point was most commonly found in places such as Africa or Central America. It was carried to Philadelphia in ships full of refugees from Hati (then called Saint Domonigue). It was carried around the city by mosquitoes, who would bite an infected person, contract the disease, and then bite an uninfected person and transfer it to them.
Symptoms
The symptoms of yellow fever come in stages. At first, there is muscle pain which persists for a few days, but then goes away for a day or so and comes back along with yellow coloring in the eyes and skin, bloody vomit, and chills. Often blood will start oozing from places such as the gums and under the fingernails.
Treatments
There was a big controversy over the treatment of yellow fever. The English and American doctors were led by Dr Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and one of the leading doctors in Philadelphia. Dr. Jean Deveze, a French refugee from Hati, had different methods of treatment. Dr. Rush often used "heroic" methods of treatment such as bleeding and purging, while Dr. Deveze prescribed bed rest and fluids such as sweet wine. Here are a list of a few of the treatments. "E" stands for English, and "F" stands for French. The treatments that are listed in red did not work, and the ones in green were more effective.
- Aggressive bleeding (E)
- Mercury(E)
- Sweet wine (F)
- Vomiting(E)
- Cold baths(F)
- Jalap root(E)
- Bed Rest(F)
The people that were most affected were anybody who stayed, but mostly the poor who did not have anywhere to go outside the city and could not afford good medical treatment. About 20,000 people fled the city because of the epidemic. It is estimated that 5,000 people died that summer. Dr, Rush at first believed that African Americans could not catch yellow fever, but actually around 240 o
