Yellow Fever Lesson Learned

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Yellow Fever: A Lesson to be Learned Thru our History there has had a numerous of unforgettable moments that left scars in the nations society. One of most memorable tragedies took place in 1793, the epidemic of the Yellow Fever. At the time of the spread of the disease, no one imagined that the Delaware River, who provided Philadelphia with goods and wealth, was going to turn its back on the citizens and provide them with death and sorrows. Yellow Fever was a disease that was carried by a mosquito, its microscopic bite gave the victims a numerous of horrifying symptoms. It was so drastic that doctors of that time had no idea how to treat it, and the decisions that a medical professional took was not the smartest one. Until this day, …show more content…

Rush was equally important to both medicine and politics, since he was one of the signers of the Declaration of Independence. Known as Dr. Rush, he was a medical professor and quiet skillful at this practice. In 1793 when the epidemic hit Philadelphia, the people turned to him to save their lives. With all his knowledge, he strongly believed that a violent epidemic deserved a violent treatment, and he applied this to his patients. Dr. Rush recommended that “80% of the patient’s blood …-be drained away to effect the cure” (Flyover History, p.102). Mirroring this drastic measure he also dosed his patients with “10 times” (Flyover History, p.102) the amount of calomel and jalap. This “overdose” triggered the patients to produce intestinal bleeding. Despite the disapproval of his co-workers, he stubbornly continued this practice. Although less than 50% of his patients survive, he died strongly believing that he was the hero that saved Philadelphia from a greater grief. In recent research science has found that the success to the survival of the people could have been larger if less painful treatments would have been applied. Taking this research to practice, modern medicine has self recommended further research and knowledge of a disease before curing a

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