An American Plague

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