The yellow
fever epidemic in Philadelphia moved quickly and killed thousands of people. As mentioned in the
previous answer, Dr. Benjamin Rush tried a number of herbal treatments to help patients. He
continued to use various unorthodox treatments in order to try and assist the many people
suffering from the epidemic. He apparently found success by using what were even then considered
medieval-era treatments: bloodletting and leeches. These methods are used to remove infected
blood and, although considered archaic for hundreds of years, contemporary hospitals have begun
using leeches in limited situations, and bloodletting is finding renewed interest as a holistic
treatment. Dr. Rush also administered a mercury compound known as calomel as a way of purging
the bowels, which was also helpful to victims of yellow fever.
Records show
that Rush did manage to "decrease mortality" with his controversial methods. Rush at
one point contracted yellow fever himself, and after directing his assistants to administer his
prescribed treatments, he survived and was later praised for the work he did to address the
epidemic.
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