AN AMERICAN PLAGUE The True and Terrifying Story of the Yellow Fever Epidemic of 1793

Two hundred years ago in America, regulating humors was the accepted treatment for illness, and cleanliness was not necessarily considered a virtue. As now famous Americans attended to business, incognito killers attended to theirs. In 1793 a yellow fever epidemic broke out in Philadelphia. Tensions abounded--between caregivers and the ill, between doctors of varying opinion, and between doctors and other experts of the time. Jim Murphy is a master at making this tension palpable, both in the actuality of daily life and in the fearful minds of Philadelphians. Pat Bottino is a fine narrator of this award-winning book. He brings an urgency that makes the listener crave the next event. Will it bring insight or a missed opportunity? A.R. (c) AudioFile 2004, Portland, Maine [Published: OCT/ NOV 04]