Description
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 biote
