Yellow Fever in Philadelphia, 1793
Background
infected mosquitos in western coast of Africa
originated from a monkey
1793 wasn't the first epidemic
Began: August 1793
Ended: November 1793
Death Toll: 5,000 out of 51,000
Theories on how it spread
person to person
"troubled atmosphere;" miasma
blood vessels vs. fluids or humors
Republicans believed that the foul air was the sole cause due to their distrust in the city life
Federalists believed that the French and Haitians caused it due to their fear of the radical movements
Benjamin Franklin's atmospheric electricity
God
Racially motivated
African Americans received less cases of Yellow Fever
Responses to combat Yellow Fever
most people chose to flee
African Americans stayed to caregive
the poor couldn't financially pick up and move
surest chance of survival
abroad = quarantine and stop trade
miamsa = cleansing the city
God = prayers and appeals for mercy
Benjamin Rush believed in purging and bloodletting; republican viewpoint
A gentler approach which included cinchona bark and wine
Unresolved Historical Issues
A Short Account of the Malignant Fever Lately Prevalent in Philadelphia
political leaders changed their view on the medicine world
provided better care for the sick
sanitation became more mainstream
Rush's ideas grew into the medical realm
Symptoms
yellow skin
yellow eyes
purple blotches under the skin
black stools
vomit