Typhoid Fever In The Early 1900's
Science advancements has helped us answer mysteries of the world and help cure diseases. Bacteriology is the study of bacteria helped scientists find the cause of source for diseases, explanations, and possibly cures for disease. In the early 1900's many people were getting sick from typhoid fever in the united states, this led to an investigation and virtually a whole new explanation of diseases spreading thru "healthy carriers." After reading Typhoid Mary by Judith Walzer Leavitt one has found that this is a story about an Irish immigrant that was a victim of circumstance and her struggle for her freedom. Mary Mallon was an Irish immigrant that came to America in 1884, by herself at the age of fifteen years old. Mary never had a college
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She hired George Francis O'Neil to take her case. (Leavitt, 76) O'Neil did not believe in bacteriology science. This was still a new concept to understand in society during this time.(Leavitt, 84) Even though there was a lot of evidence that there was many typhoid cases were Mary worked, O'Neil felt as if there were not enough evidence that she was the reason everyone was getting sick.(Leavitt, 85) Statistics have showed in 1907 that there was 4,400 new cases of typhoid fever, only two of them were traced to Mary Mallon, so why was she being locked up when there were many other menaces in society?(Leavitt, 85) O'Neil felt that Soper and Baker's evidence was incomplete. Mary Mallon said she had worked in many homes where no one got sick from Typhoid fever.(Leavitt, 86) Health officials continued to study Mary Mallon's stool to keep examining for typhoid bacteria. O'Neil was trying to prove that it was wrong to isolate Mary Mallon from the world when there were many other healthy carriers walking freely.(Leavitt, 88) The department of health claimed she was dangerous to society to the judge because she was a cook and refused to acknowledge that she was a healthy carrier and that Mallon could get more people sick.(Leavitt, 89) Mary Mallon was the first publically identified healthy carrier, and since she did not behave to the norm of woman roles …show more content…
Alphonse Cotils and Tony Labella both worked in the food handling business and made an agreement not to work in that line of business. Both were found violating the agreement however.(Leavitt, 119) Labella had more typhoid cases than Mary Mallon, more people died because of him yet he was not isolated as Mary Mallon was.(Leavitt, 119) Labella violated his agreement two more times, yet health officials were still letting him walk free.(Leavitt, 119) The health department even found him construction business to earn a living.(Leavitt, 120) What made Labella's case different than Mary's is that he was a man who had a family to support, where as Mary was a single woman by herself.(Leavitt, 120) Perhaps if Mary Mallon had family or some kind of support she would not of have been confined to the North Brother Island for the rest of her life. Another healthy carrier case was by a man name Frederick Moersch. Moersch lived in Brooklyn, New York and owned a ice cream shop.(Leavitt, 121) He affected fifty-nine people and was placed in Riverside Hospital.(Leavitt, 121) He was more like Cotils and Labella's case and had a family to support.(Leavitt, 122) Moersch made an agreement that he would be released back into society just as long as he did not serve ice cream or any kind of food to the public.(Leavitt, 122) Moersch had a sick wife and the only
She hired George Francis O'Neil to take her case. (Leavitt, 76) O'Neil did not believe in bacteriology science. This was still a new concept to understand in society during this time.(Leavitt, 84) Even though there was a lot of evidence that there was many typhoid cases were Mary worked, O'Neil felt as if there were not enough evidence that she was the reason everyone was getting sick.(Leavitt, 85) Statistics have showed in 1907 that there was 4,400 new cases of typhoid fever, only two of them were traced to Mary Mallon, so why was she being locked up when there were many other menaces in society?(Leavitt, 85) O'Neil felt that Soper and Baker's evidence was incomplete. Mary Mallon said she had worked in many homes where no one got sick from Typhoid fever.(Leavitt, 86) Health officials continued to study Mary Mallon's stool to keep examining for typhoid bacteria. O'Neil was trying to prove that it was wrong to isolate Mary Mallon from the world when there were many other healthy carriers walking freely.(Leavitt, 88) The department of health claimed she was dangerous to society to the judge because she was a cook and refused to acknowledge that she was a healthy carrier and that Mallon could get more people sick.(Leavitt, 89) Mary Mallon was the first publically identified healthy carrier, and since she did not behave to the norm of woman roles …show more content…
Alphonse Cotils and Tony Labella both worked in the food handling business and made an agreement not to work in that line of business. Both were found violating the agreement however.(Leavitt, 119) Labella had more typhoid cases than Mary Mallon, more people died because of him yet he was not isolated as Mary Mallon was.(Leavitt, 119) Labella violated his agreement two more times, yet health officials were still letting him walk free.(Leavitt, 119) The health department even found him construction business to earn a living.(Leavitt, 120) What made Labella's case different than Mary's is that he was a man who had a family to support, where as Mary was a single woman by herself.(Leavitt, 120) Perhaps if Mary Mallon had family or some kind of support she would not of have been confined to the North Brother Island for the rest of her life. Another healthy carrier case was by a man name Frederick Moersch. Moersch lived in Brooklyn, New York and owned a ice cream shop.(Leavitt, 121) He affected fifty-nine people and was placed in Riverside Hospital.(Leavitt, 121) He was more like Cotils and Labella's case and had a family to support.(Leavitt, 122) Moersch made an agreement that he would be released back into society just as long as he did not serve ice cream or any kind of food to the public.(Leavitt, 122) Moersch had a sick wife and the only