The Doctors Who Conquered Yellow Fever

by Ralph Nading Hill
Available from Amazon
****
Doctors Walter Reed, William Gorgas, and Carlos Finlay come to life in this easy to read exploration of the fight against Yellow Jack. We see glimpses of Walter Reed’s young life and his early quest to become a doctor. His army career follows and before long we see the grim face of Yellow Jack. Reed searches for a cause, and finally proves to the world that the mosquito is the carrier of the dread disease. Heroic volunteers willing contract the disease in the journey to conquer yellow fever. Some of the researchers give the ultimate sacrifice of their lives to finding an answer. We follow Dr. Gorgas through Havana and Panama in his war against the mosquito, and see his final success. Yellow fever is eventually discovered to be caused by a virus, and a vaccine is produced. Today, the world no longer lives in dread of yellow fever thanks to the tireless effort and sacrifice of these great men.

This is a great resource for children, although it is also perfect for adults wanting to learn about the fight against yellow fever without having to study a comprehensive work on the subject. It is number 78 in the Landmark Series.