An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793

Murphy, Jim. An American Plague: The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever
Epidemic of 1793.  Clarion Books, New York: 2003. 165 pages. Tr. $17.00 ISBN 0395776082

In 1793 no one knew the cause of Yellow Fever, so when it hit Philadelphia that summer it was attributed to foul smells from the harbor and dirty streets.  An American Plague tells the story of how the Yellow Fever epidemic that swept Philadelphia in 1793 effectively shut down the city and the federal government, which at the time was based out of Philadelphia instead of Washington D.C.  Most of the cities wealthy citizen fled to country homes or the homes of family in other cities to escape the illness, this included the top government officials such as President Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Alexander Hamilton.  Those who stayed in the city were mostly those who had no other option; however there were a few people who stayed to help tend to the ill.  One of those people was Doctor Benjamin Rush.  Rush believed the fever sweeping the city was Yellow Fever, unlike some of his colleagues and went straight to work finding a way to combat the disease.  Rush’s treatment proved effective, though controversial.  In 1793 medicine was still very rudimentary and consisted of bleeding and purging patients, which is precisely what Rush’s treatment called for.  Rush was not the only one who opted to stay in the city and help the ill.  Several prominent towns people worked tirelessly to put together a make shift hospital and find volunteers to help tend to the sick and clean up the city. 

Awards/Honors

ALSC Notable Book 2004

Newberry Honor Book 2004

Orbis Pictus Award 2004

Sibert Award Winner 2004

YALSA Best Books for Young Adults 2004

Front and Back Matter

TOC, Sources, Acknowledgments, A Note about the Illustrations, Index

Author’s Website

http://www.jimmurphybooks.com/