Typhoid Mary | Public Health, Civil Liberties & the Demonized Carrier

Описание: Dive into the complex story of Mary Mallon, aka Typhoid Mary, in this lecture from Bodies, Systems, and Stories: A Critical History of Medicine.

In Unit II: The Transformation of Medical Practice (Lectures 7–14), Lecture 12 explores:

The infamous case of Mary Mallon: As an asymptomatic carrier of typhoid, her presence challenged early bacteriology and public health.

Civil liberties vs. public health: How authorities balanced individual rights with the emerging science of infectious disease.

Media and public perception: The role of newspapers and illustrations in demonizing carriers, portraying Mary as a “germ factory” or “witch.”

Social context: The influence of class and gender on Mary’s treatment, contrasting her harsh detention with leniency toward male carriers.

Legal and epidemiological impact: The 1909 habeas corpus hearing and the precedent it set for managing asymptomatic carriers.

Historical framework: From miasma and filth theory to the bacteriological revolution, providing insight into the public’s evolving understanding of disease.

Perfect for medical students, public health professionals, historians, and anyone interested in the intersection of science, society, and ethics, this lecture illustrates the tension between scientific discovery and human rights in the early 20th century.

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