The First Case
After a long day of work at her restaurant, Kate stumbled into her home. It was normal for her to feel exhausted at a time like this, but this time was an exception; her body felt weak as her head throbbed with immense pain. As she made her way to the sink to get a drink of water, she looked at herself in the mirror; it could have been a trick of the light or a delusion brought on by her splitting headache, but her eyes seemed to be slightly tinted yellow. As the hours passed, the headache only became worse, and she felt even more nauseous than she’d ever felt, ultimately deciding to stay home for the rest few days to recover.
Eight days later, on August 13, 1878, Kate Bionda died from the Yellow Fever Epidemic. She was the first officially recorded case of the disease in Memphis, spending her last moments under its effects; her body was wracked with fever, headaches, body aches, nausea, and fatigue, eventually progressing to jaundice, bleeding, and ultimately organ failure. The yellowing of her eyes plus her worsening condition proved much more real than a simple hallucination– it was the final sign of her impending demise.
Sadly, Bionda wouldn’t be the last to suffer this horrific fate; the yellow fever quickly spread around the city, infecting thousands and growing into an epidemic.
Where It All Unfolded
As a city seated right on the banks of an active and massive river, the Mississippi, Memphis had a booming economy involving trade over the water with hundreds of cargo ships arriving at ports daily. The first instances of the yellow fever were believed to originate from these outsider merchants, spreading first to people like Bionda who imported and sold the goods they touted.
Realizing this, the mayor attempted to set up a blockade that would prevent ships from docking and railroads from operating, which meant trade would effectively end. Businesses were against the blockade as it prevented the generation of profit, so no blockade was ever set up, which meant the disease was kept unchecked from spreading. Due to the rapid takeover of the disease, over 40000 Memphis residents left the city, and those who remained were mainly individuals aiding the sick.
The Howard Association, an organization dedicated to controlling yellow fever epidemics, deployed doctors and nurses to the Peabody Hotel, the only hotel to stay open during the pandemic. These doctors often saw between 100 and 150 patients daily. The Episcopal Community of Saint Mary also leapt into action when they witnessed the suffering of the lower classes and less fortunate. They were supporting a girl’s school and church orphanage while opening their doors to the Canfield Asylum, a home which cared for black children. Four nuns ended up succumbing to the fever while working, earning them the title of Martyrs of Memphis.
Overall, the epidemic was one of the most disastrous and foundation-warping events in Memphis’ history, causing over 20,000 deaths, costing $200 million in losses, and even temporarily causing the city to lose its charter.
The city had to fundamentally improve to prevent a similar situation from happening again; this included upgrading the sanitation system, something which previously gave the city a reputation for filth and disease, along with instating new policies to deal with the inflow and outflow of individuals in an epidemic scenario.
COVID-19 was a devastating pandemic that also resulted in numerous deaths, where normal life came to a standstill across the entire world. In comparison to the Yellow Fever, COVID-19 caused the economy in the US and across the world to be negatively impacted. However, due to the development of new technologies and better sanitation, people were more aware of the disease and took measures to protect themselves and others, limiting the spread. The Yellow Fever has taught us a lesson: Across every generation, the people’s fight against disease has remained the same.
