Typhoid Mary: An Urban Historical

Mary Mallon, known as Typhoid Mary, was an Irish-born American cook who infected over 50 people and caused at least five deaths in the early 1900s. She was the first person in the United States to be identified as a healthy carrier of typhoid fever, and her case led to important changes in public health policy.

Typhoid Mary: An Urban Historical

by Anthony Bourdain

4.4 out of 5

Language	:	English
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Early life

Mary Mallon was born in Cookstown, County Tyrone, Ireland, on September 27, 1869. She emigrated to the United States in 1883 with her family, and they settled in Manhattan. Mallon worked as a cook in various wealthy households in New York City and Long Island.

Typhoid carrier

In 1900, Mallon was hired as a cook by the Warren family of Oyster Bay, Long Island. Shortly after she began working, several members of the family came down with typhoid fever. The family's physician, Dr. George Soper, investigated the outbreak and traced it to Mallon. Soper convinced Mallon to provide a stool sample, which was later found to contain the typhoid bacillus.

Mallon was a healthy carrier of typhoid fever, meaning that she did not show any symptoms of the disease but was still able to transmit it to others. This was a relatively new concept at the time, and Soper was one of the first physicians to identify a healthy carrier.

Quarantine

Soper convinced the New York City Health Department to quarantine Mallon in a hospital on North Brother Island in the East River. Mallon was not happy about being quarantined, and she repeatedly tried to escape. She was finally released in 1905, after promising to give up her job as a cook.

However, Mallon soon broke her promise and went back to work as a cook under an assumed name. In 1906, she was responsible for another outbreak of typhoid fever, this time at the Sloane Maternity Hospital in Manhattan. Mallon was once again quarantined on North Brother Island, where she remained for the rest of her life.

Later life

Mallon spent the rest of her life in quarantine on North Brother Island. She was a difficult patient, and she often refused to cooperate with the hospital staff. She also continued to deny that she was a carrier of typhoid fever.

Mallon died on November 11, 1938, at the age of 69. She was buried in an unmarked grave on North Brother Island.

Public health implications

The case of Typhoid Mary had a profound impact on public health policy in the United States. It led to the development of new methods for identifying and controlling the spread of typhoid fever. It also raised ethical questions about the rights of individuals versus the need to protect the public health.

Today, Typhoid Mary is remembered as a cautionary tale about the importance of public health. Her case helped to raise awareness of the dangers of typhoid fever and the need for good hygiene practices.

Image gallery

Further reading

• The Case of Typhoid Mary
• Typhoid Fever
• Typhoid Mary

Typhoid Mary: An Urban Historical

by Anthony Bourdain

4.4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	585 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
X-Ray	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	161 pages
Lending	:	Enabled

FREE