An American plague: the true and terrifying story of the yellow fever epidermic of 1793

An American plague: the true and terrifying story of the yellow fever epidemic of 1793

by Jim Murphy

Publisher: Houghton Mufflin Company 2003 165 pages

Genre: Nonficition, Death & Dying, and History

Reading Level: Ages 9-12

Summary:This is an account of the yellow fever or malaria epidemic that took place in the city of Philadelphia in the year 1793. It chronicles the medical practices of the day and the spread of the disease. It was thought at the time that African Americans were immune to the disease, so they entered the sick houses and cared for the victims and provided medical care to those that no one else would treat.It was Benjamin Rush who determined the way that the disease was spreading and suggest an adequate treatment.

Response: I liked this book a lot. The explanations of the sick were so accurate and descriptive that it made me sick at times. I experienced this book through a book on CD and the descriptions were unpleasant to listen to, when I was eating.