The Great Fleeing of 1793: When Yellow Fever Made Philly Hotter Than Hades (and Everyone Else Buggered Off)
Ah, Philadelphia. City of brotherly love... except when a mysterious disease rolls into town and makes everyone run for the hills (or, well, the nearest non-fever-ridden burg). That's exactly what happened in the summer of 1793 when yellow fever, a nasty bug spread by sneaky mosquitoes, decided to turn Philly into a petri dish of panic.
Enter Mayor Matthew Clarkson: The Man Who Stayed When the Getting Was Gruesome
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While half the city was packing their bags faster than you can say "mass exodus," Mayor Clarkson dug in his heels. Now, the guy wasn't exactly Rambo, but someone had to hold the fort. Imagine him, sweating it out in a tricorner hat, surrounded by deserted streets and folks dropping like flies (well, not literally flies, but you get the picture).
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Leading from the Feverish Frontlines: Band-Aids, Bloodletting, and... Whiskey?
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Science in the 1790s wasn't exactly cutting edge. Doctors were still big on bloodletting (basically draining your blood – not exactly a feel-good cure). Clarkson, bless his heart, did the best he could. He:
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- Assembled a Dream Team (of Sorts): He called on the College of Physicians, a bunch of brainy dudes who, despite not knowing the cause, at least offered advice like keeping the streets clean (because, ew).
- Opened Up Shop (Fever Shop, That Is): With the city hospital overflowing faster than a frat house after keg week, he turned Bush Hill, a fancy mansion, into a fever hospital. Just imagine chandeliers and fainting couches replaced by moaning patients and overworked nurses (mostly free African Americans, who were mistakenly thought to be immune – oops!).
- Drank His Weight in... Water (Probably): Okay, maybe not water. The popular "cure" at the time involved massive doses of mercury and purging (think chugging something way worse than cough syrup). We can only hope Clarkson stuck to something less, well, lethal.
The Verdict: Did Philly Survive the Fever Frenzy?
Spoiler alert: Philadelphia did eventually pull through. The fever season died down with the cooler weather, and the city slowly crawled back to normal. While Mayor Clarkson might not have had all the answers, he gets major points for sticking around and trying to keep things from going completely batty.
How To's for the Next Pestilence (Hopefully Never Needed!)
- How to Wash Your Hands Like a Pro in 1793: Soap and water weren't exactly a thing yet, but vinegar and water were a decent substitute (though probably not as pleasant smelling).
- How to Socially Distance in a Cramped City: This one's tricky. Maybe yell "Fever Breath!" from a safe distance and hope people scatter?
- How to Spot a Fake Cure: If a treatment involves mercury or bleeding you dry, steer clear!
- How to Choose a Fever Hospital (Besides a Fancy Mansion): Uh, maybe anywhere with decent ventilation and not too many cobwebs?
- How to Convince Your Mayor to Stay Put: This one requires good negotiation skills and maybe a promise of a lifetime supply of cheese steaks (assuming they were invented by then).
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