Philadelphia Yellow Fever 1793 Essay

455 Words2 Pages

How has the Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic of 1793 change history? An appalling contagious outbreak impacted the colossal city of America and its country’s capital. In the summer of 1793 the weather was brutally humid and mild. Therefore, this infectious disease has initiated in August and is known to be terminated approximately few months later in November. This disease has commenced by mosquitoes and caused a massive amount of deaths. Not only has this epidemic dispatched numerous people it made them suffer to the point where it was unbearable to handle.

Philadelphia under Siege: The Yellow Fever of 1793 is an article that states, “The number of deaths changed from ten victims a day in August to one hundred a day in October.” As a result …show more content…

When an individual has this disease, symptoms such as pyrexia, migraine, queasiness, upchucking, chills, and having pain on one’s back would appear. Yellow fever has no cure and treatment incorporates merely of endeavors in order for the convalescent to be consoled and at ease. Patients would recuperate up to three to four days but, about fifteen percent would enter another stage of this sickness after a respite. This stage consists of a reappearance of high fever, abdominal pain, the skin will turn yellow and there is a possibility that the eyes can become yellow as well, bleeding from the eyes, nose, mouth, stomach, heaving, and degrading kidney function. Yellow fever is known to exterminate thirty thousand people yearly.

Since dead bodies were everywhere on the ground volunteers would gather them and they would carry those who are dying as well. During this time period African Americans were required to give care to those who are ailing and on the verge of death. This took place after the population began to decrease and many started to leave the region of Philadelphia and a small amount of people were left for nurturing and interring jobs.

To sum up, many thought due to the chill, aseptic atmosphere was the reason as to why the yellow fever fled. The