Historical Diseases from a Modern Perspective: The American Experience

Historical Diseases from a Modern Perspective: The American Experience is a must read for any student of history or fan of historical novels. Every disease section contains fascinating historical insights relevant to the American experience, including how the 1900 outbreak of plague in San Franciso was contained, why the flow of the Chicago River was reversed, why “chicken pox parties” were once common, how the scourge of yellow fever was abated, and why poor southerners were once considered lazy and shiftless. Those readers interested in military history will learn how smallpox impacted troop strength in the Revolutionary War, dysentery in the Civil War, influenza in WWI, malaria in WWII, and sexually transmitted diseases across all wars. The social history of alcohol and opioid use is outlined as is the pre-antibiotic treatment of syphilis and gonorrhea, giving rise to the quip, “A night with Venus and a lifetime with mercury,” and the nickname “clap.” The use of anthrax as a tool of bioterrorism, the debilitating effects of scurvy, and the horror of leprosy are all discussed, along with multiple other diseases of historical interest.

 The text begins by outlining historical theories of disease causation, prevention and cure, to provide a contextual understanding for the reader. The ensuing chapters describe how historical diseases acquired their traditional monikers (Spanish flu, ship fever, ague, blue death, breakbone fever, scarlet fever, etc.) and how they were treated before the era of modern medicine. Emphasis is placed on the impact of disease outbreaks on society and how the understanding, treatment, and prevention of these diseases developed over time. The threat of historical disease reemergence due to waning vaccine immunities, vaccine hesitancy, antibiotic resistance and climate change is noted as a subtext throughout the book – a peril of global concern at this time.

The book covers a large array of historical diseases, grouped for clarity and understanding within the broad categories of contagious diseases, vector-borne/zoonotic diseases, fecal-oral diseases, sexually transmitted diseases, substance use disorders, parasitic diseases, nutritional diseases, fungal diseases, and soil-related bacterial diseases.