Judith Walzer Leavitt

Mary Mallon, an Irish immigrant in early 1900's New York, was the first identified healthy carrier of the bacteria that causes typhoid fever in the United States. The concept of a healthy carrier was new to medical science and quite foreign to the general public. What followed was much difficulty for the New York board of health and Mallon herself. Leavitt explores Mallon's story from medical, public health, legal, and social perspectives. We see that no other healthy carriers, even those that infected more people than Mallon, were as harshly treated by society and boards of health. After exploring Mallon's life, Leavitt explores the legacy Mallon and the idea of Typhoid Mary left behind in society and culture and the lessons that can be applied to society's actions towards those with AIDS and HIV. As the publication date is nearly 20 years past, this last section is a little dated. However, Leavitt brings up important questions about the balance between individual liberty and public health. Some readers will find this book too academic for leisure reading as Leavitt divided the book by theme and does not focus on creating an exciting narrative. Interested readers will find information from multiple perspectives well presented and solidly analyzed while letting the reader make their own decisions. Recommended for public libraries where there is a strong interest in health science and academic libraries.… (lisätietoja)