Typhoid Mary Lives!
All the talk this week about The Flying TB Man with the highly dangerous form of tuberculosis has me thinking about one of the most intriguing figures in U.S. history, Typhoid Mary.
Flying TB Man and Mary Mallon have these things in common:
- Mary spread the virus and was apprehended by officials in 1907; Flying TB Man exposed others to his TB in 2007, exactly 100 years later
- Both Mary and TB Man did it (somewhat) unwittingly
- Both were quarantined against their will
Judith Walzer Leavitt, a professor of medical history and women’s studies at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, and author of Typhoid Mary: Captive to the Public’s Health, asks “Typhoid Mary: Villain or Victim?”
June 2nd, 2007 at 7:40 am
[...] Updates: This blog thinks Speaker’s wife is a hottie. She’s not. This blog likens Speaker to Typhoid Mary. He is. [...]
June 2nd, 2007 at 9:04 am
In the case of TB Man, I’d change the word “unwittingly” to “uncaringly.”
I absolutely don’t believe his protestations of ignorance.
June 2nd, 2007 at 7:35 pm
TB man needs a brain scan to see if he has one.
June 3rd, 2007 at 12:27 am
Such foolish behavior on his part. Oy.
June 3rd, 2007 at 8:17 pm
Just when you thought it was safe to fly again!