Mackenzie Perkins
Typhus Epidemic
Back in 1892, typhus was easily diagnosed because they could recognize the signs and symptoms but they still were not sure what it was or what caused it. The typhus fever and cholera epidemics that struck New York City in 1892, was traced back to a boat of Russian Jewish immigrants of the Massilia. In the mid 19th century NY had the worst health stats, the lower east side had polluted water, filthy streets with a horrible stench of sewage, dead animals and poop. An outbreak of typhus fever was reported in a boarding house where some of the Massilia passengers were living. The chief inspector of the New York City Health Department extended the search to cover all the areas of the city where these immigrants visited. They were placed under quarantine, first in boarding houses, and then on the island of Lazza. This was the first quarantine island.
Typhus was extremely contagious, associated with impoverished areas, and was highly feared due to lack of knowledge. There was a lot of discrimination that occurred as a result of the disease. Orthodox Jews had anti-Semitic restrictions placed on them; heavy takes on kosher foods, Sabbath and other things of cultural importance. There was stigmatism and the rights and civil liberties of the Jews were violated; the names of those with an infectious disease would be published in the newspaper. Jews who died of typhus had autopsies performed on them, were cremated, but people who came from a middle class or upper class family were treated differently. The lack of cultural and religious sensitivity by the health department eventually leads to a compromise: Jews who died of typhus were not to be autopsied, embalmed or cremated, they were to be buried in a metal coffin on a different island until the epidemic was over. The Massilia Jews’ requests for kosher food were still unworthy. The public health official, Edson, said that respected people infected with typhus were allowed to remain at home, but Masillia Jews and the poor were to be quarantined on the island. This scientific ignorance and paranoia are a dangerous mix. The threat of quarantine can cause sick people to put off treatment, which is still a problem we see in today’s society, for example Ebola.