The Secret of the Yellow Death: A True Story of Medical Sleuthing

by Jurmain, Suzanne

• ISBN13: 9780618965816
• ISBN10: 0618965815
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2009-10-26
• Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt

Summary

Red oozes from the patient's gums. He has a rushing headache and the whites of his eyes look like lemons. His tongue may soon turn black. He will likely die within days. Here is the true story of how four Americans and one Cuban tracked down a killer, one of the world's most vicious plagues - yellow fever. Set on the fever-stricken island of Cuba, the author make us feel the heavy air, smell the stench of disease, hear the whine of mosquitoes biting human volunteers during the surreal experiments. Exploring themes of courage, cooperation, and the ethics of human experimentation, this gripping account is ultimately a story of the triumph of science. Note: Unlike AN AMERICAN PLAGUE (Clarion) by Jim Murphy, which was set in 1799's and focused on a single epidemic, this middle-grade title is not only for a younger audience, but focuses on how in the 1900's, four scientists finally discovered the cause of this deadly disease which had for centuries regularly swept through parts of Africa and the Western Hemisphere, turning American cities into ghost towns.

Author Biography

To research this book, Suzanne Jurmain used primary sources of memoirs, medical log books and documents from the doctors who were actually involved in the conquest of yellow fever.  She lives with her husband in Los Angeles and has two adult children - and one large golden retriever.

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