Typhoid Mary
Mary Mallon | |
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![]() Mallon in isolation
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Born | Cookstown, County Tyrone, Ireland |
September 23, 1869
Died | November 11, 1938 North Brother Island, East River, New York, U.S. |
(aged 69)
Cause of death
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Pneumonia |
Resting place
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Saint Raymond's Cemetery |
Residence | United States |
Nationality | Irish by birth; American citizen by naturalization after immigration |
Other names | Mary Brown |
Ethnicity | Irish |
Occupation | Cook |
Known for | Asymptomatic carrier of typhoid fever |
Mary Mallon (September 23, 1869 – November 11, 1938), better known as Typhoid Mary, was the first person in the United States identified as an asymptomatic carrier of the pathogen associated with typhoid fever. She was presumed to have infected 53 people, three of whom died, over the course of her career as a cook.[1] She was twice forcibly isolated by public health authorities and died after a total of nearly three decades in isolation.
Contents
Early life[edit]
Mary Mallon was born in 1869 in Cookstown, County Tyrone, Ireland. She emigrated from Ireland to the United States in 1883 at the age of 15.[2] She lived with her aunt and uncle for a time and later found work as a cook for affluent families.[3]
Career[edit]
From 1900 to 1907 Mallon worked as a cook in the New York City area for seven different families.[4] In 1900, she worked in Mamaroneck, New York, where, within two weeks of her employment, residents developed typhoid fever. In 1901 she moved to Manhattan, where members of the family for whom she worked developed fevers and diarrhea, and the laundress died. Mallon then went to work for a lawyer; she left after seven of the eight people in that household became ill.[5]
In 1906, she took a position in Oyster Bay, Long Island, and within two weeks ten of eleven family members were hospitalized with typhoid. She changed jobs again, and similar occurrences happened in three more households.[5] She worked as a cook for the family of a wealthy New York banker, Charles Henry Warren. When the Warrens rented a house in Oyster Bay for the summer of 1906, Mallon went along too. From August 27 to September 3, six of the eleven people in the family came down with typhoid fever. The disease at that time was "unusual" in Oyster Bay, according to three medical doctors who practiced there.[citation needed] Mallon was subsequently hired by other families, and outbreaks followed her.[5]
Investigation[edit]
In late 1906, one family hired a typhoid researcher named George Soper to investigate. Soper published the results on June 15, 1907 in the Journal of the American Medical Association. He believed Mallon might be the source of the outbreak.[6] He wrote:
"It was found that the family changed cooks on August 4. This was about three weeks before the typhoid epidemic broke out. She remained in the family only a short time, leaving about three weeks after the outbreak occurred. The cook was described as an Irish woman about 40 years of age, tall, heavy, single. She seemed to be in perfect health."
Soper discovered that a female Irish cook, who was single and overweight, was involved in all of the outbreaks. He was unable to locate her because she generally left after an outbreak began, without giving a forwarding address. Soper learned of an active outbreak in a penthouse on Park Avenue, and discovered Mallon was the cook. Two of the household's servants were hospitalized, and the daughter of the family died of typhoid.[5]
When Soper approached Mallon about her possible role in spreading typhoid, she adamantly rejected his request for urine and stool samples.[7] Since Mallon refused to give samples, he decided to compile a five-year history of Mallon's employment. Soper found that of the eight families that hired Mallon as a cook, members of seven claimed to have contracted typhoid fever.[8] On his next visit, he brought another doctor with him but again was turned away. During a later encounter when Mallon was herself hospitalized, he told her he would write a book and give her all the royalties. She angrily rejected his proposal and locked herself in the bathroom until he left.[9]
First quarantine (1907–1910)[edit]
The New York City Health Department finally sent Dr. Sara Josephine Baker to talk to Mallon. Baker stated "by that time she was convinced that the law was only persecuting her when she had done nothing wrong." A few days later, Baker arrived at Mallon's workplace with several police officers, who took her into custody.[citation needed]
Mary attracted so much media attention that in a 1908 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association she was called "typhoid Mary". Later, in a textbook that defined typhoid fever, she was called "Typhoid Mary" with a capital "T".[8]
Mallon admitted poor hygiene, saying she did not understand the purpose of hand-washing because she did not pose a risk. In prison, she was forced to give stool and urine samples. Doctors found a major infection of typhoid bacteria in her gallbladder. Authorities suggested removing her gallbladder, but she refused as she did not believe she carried the disease. She was also unwilling to cease working as a cook.[5]
The New York City Health Inspector determined her to be a carrier. Under sections 1169 and 1170 of the Greater New York Charter, Mallon was held in isolation for three years at a clinic located on North Brother Island.[5]
Eventually, Dr. Eugene H. Porter, the New York State Commissioner of Health, decided that disease carriers should no longer be kept in isolation and that Mallon could be freed if she agreed to stop working as a cook and take reasonable steps to prevent transmitting typhoid to others. On February 19, 1910, Mallon agreed that she "[was] prepared to change her occupation (that of a cook), and would give assurance by affidavit that she would upon her release take such hygienic precautions as would protect those with whom she came in contact, from infection". She was released from quarantine and returned to the mainland.[10]
Release, name-change and second quarantine (1915–1938)[edit]
Upon her release, Mallon was given a job as a laundress, which paid less than cooking. She soon changed her name to "Mary Brown", and returned to her old occupation. For the next five years, she worked in a number of kitchens; wherever she worked, there were outbreaks of typhoid. However, she changed jobs frequently, and Soper was unable to find her.[5]
In 1915, Mallon started another major outbreak, this time at Sloane Hospital for Women in New York City. Twenty-five people were infected and two died. She again left, but the police were able to find and arrest her when she brought food to a friend on Long Island.[5][10]
After arresting her, public health authorities returned her to quarantine on North Brother Island on March 27, 1915. She was still unwilling to have her gallbladder removed.[10] Mallon remained confined for the remainder of her life. She became a minor celebrity, and was occasionally interviewed by the media. They were told not to accept even water from her.[5] Later, she was allowed to work as a technician in the island's laboratory, washing bottles.[6]
Death[edit]
Mallon spent the rest of her life in quarantine at the Riverside Hospital. Six years before her death, she was paralyzed by a stroke. On November 11, 1938, she died of pneumonia at age 69.[1] An autopsy found evidence of live typhoid bacteria in her gallbladder.[5] Mallon's body was cremated, and her ashes were buried at Saint Raymond's Cemetery in the Bronx.[11]
Legacy[edit]
Among the infections Mallon caused, at least three deaths were attributed to her. However, due to her use of aliases and refusal to cooperate, the exact number is not known. Some have estimated that she may have caused 50 fatalities.[5]
Mallon was the first asymptomatic typhoid carrier to be identified by medical science, and there was no policy providing guidelines for handling the situation. Some difficulties surrounding her case stemmed from Mallon's vehement denial of her possible role, as she refused to acknowledge any connection between her working as a cook and the typhoid cases. Mallon maintained that she was perfectly healthy, had never had typhoid fever, and could not be the source. Public-health authorities determined that permanent quarantine was the only way to prevent Mallon from causing significant future typhoid outbreaks.[citation needed]
Other healthy typhoid carriers identified in the first quarter of the 20th century include Tony Labella, an Italian immigrant, presumed to have caused over 100 cases (with five deaths); an Adirondack guide dubbed "Typhoid John", presumed to have infected 36 people (with two deaths); and Alphonse Cotils, a restaurateur and bakery owner.[citation needed]
Today, "Typhoid Mary" is a colloquial term for anyone who, knowingly or not, spreads something undesirable.[12]
In August 2013, researchers at the Stanford University School of Medicine announced they were making breakthroughs in understanding the exact science behind asymptomatic carriers such as Mallon. The bacteria that causes typhoid may hide in macrophages, a type of immune cell.[13][14]
Individuals can develop typhoid fever after ingesting food or water contaminated during handling by a human carrier. The human carrier may be a healthy person who has survived a previous episode of typhoid fever yet who continues to shed the associated bacteria, Salmonella typhi, in feces and urine. Washing hands with soap before touching or preparing food, washing dishes and utensils with soap and water, and only eating cooked food are all ways to reduce the risk of typhoid infection.[15]
In popular culture[edit]
A Rhymesayers Entertainment rap group consisting of Aesop Rock and Rob Sonic named themselves "Hail Mary Mallon" as a tribute to Mallon. The cover of their first albums depicts Mary Mallon feeding a man a bowl of soup. [16]
In season one of the Cinemax original series The Knick several characters investigate an outbreak of typhoid fever, identifying and arresting Mallon as the source of the outbreak in episode 6, "Start Calling Me Dad".[17]
In the popular franchise "Call of Duty: Black Ops" there is a reference in the "Zombies" mode of the game. If one upgrades the HS10 shotgun with the Pack-a-Punch it becomes the "Typhoid & Mary".
The movie "Paranormal Asylum" (2013) has its story built around Typhoid Mary´s true story. [18]
The Town Pants, a Canadian band specializing in Irish music, has a song on their CD "Piston Baroque" entitled "Hell's Kitchen" that recounts the story of Typhoid Mary Mallon. www.thetownpants.com; http://www.metrolyrics.com/hells-kitchen-lyrics-town-pants.html
References[edit]
- ^ a b "'Typhoid Mary' Dies Of A Stroke At 68. Carrier of Disease, Blamed for 51 Cases and 3 Deaths, but She Was Held Immune". The New York Times. November 12, 1938. Retrieved February 28, 2010. "Mary Mallon, the first carrier of typhoid bacilli identified in America and consequently known as Typhoid Mary, died yesterday in Riverside Hospital on North Brother Island."
- ^ Cliff, Andrew; Smallman-Raynor, Matthew (2013). Oxford Textbook of Infectious Disease Control: A Geographical Analysis from Medieval Quarantine to Global Eradication. Oxford University Press. p. 86. ISBN 0-199-59661-1.
- ^ Kenny, Kevin (2014). The American Irish: A History. Routledge. p. 187. ISBN 1-317-88916-9.
- ^ Job Readiness for Health Professionals: Soft Skills Strategies for Success. Elsevier Health Sciences. 2012. p. 56. ISBN 1-455-73771-2.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Dex and McCaff, "Who was Typhoid Mary?" The Straight Dope. Aug 14, 2000
- ^ a b Ochs, Ridgely (2007). "Dinner with Typhoid Mary". Newsday.
- ^ Soper, George A. (June 15, 1907). "The work of a chronic typhoid germ distributor". J Am Med Assoc 48: 2019–22. doi:10.1001/jama.1907.25220500025002d.
- ^ a b Satin, Morton (2007). Death in the Pot. New York: Prometheus Books. p. 169.
- ^ "The Most Dangerous Woman In America" (in English). Nova. Episode 597. October 12, 2004. Event occurs at 28:42-29:52. PBS. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JPCZOb7z2w. Retrieved August 31, 2014.
- ^ a b c "Food Science Curriculum" (PDF). Illinois State Board of Education. p. 118. Retrieved February 9, 2011.
- ^ Satin, Morton. Death in the Pot: The Impact of Food Poisoning on History. Prometheus Books. p. 174. ISBN 1-615-92224-5.
- ^ "Dictionary Reference Website: Typhoid Mary". Dictionary.reference.com. Retrieved 2013-03-29.
- ^ Goldman, Bruce (August 14, 2013). "Scientists get a handle on what made Typhoid Mary’s infectious microbes tick". Stanford School of Medicine.
- ^ "'Typhoid Mary' Mystery May Have Been Solved At Last, Scientists Say". The Huffington Post. August 17, 2013.
- ^ "Hygiene helps you prevent Typhoid fever". KwaZulu-Natal Department of Health, Government of South Africa. 2001. Retrieved September 19, 2013.
- ^ "Hail Mary Mallon on Rhymesayers Ent.".
- ^ The Knick 1:6: "Start Calling Me Dad"
- ^ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2748088/
Further reading[edit]
- Keane, Mary Beth. Fever. New York: Scribner, 2013. Hardcover, 320 pages, ISBN 1451693419
- Bourdain, Anthony. Typhoid Mary: An Urban Historical. New York: Bloomsbury, 2001. Hardcover, 148 pages, ISBN 1-58234-133-8
- Leavitt, Judith Walzer. Typhoid Mary, Captive to the Public's Health. Boston: Beacon Press, 1996. Hardcover, 331 pages, ISBN 0-8070-2102-4
- Baker, Josephine Sarah (1939). Fighting for Life. New York: Macmillan Press. ISBN 0-405-05945-0 (1974 ed), ISBN 0-88275-611-7 (1980 ed)
- Federspiel, Jürg. The Ballad of Typhoid Mary (historical novel translated by Joel Agee). New York: Ballantine Books, 1985.
- Mikkelson, Barbara (July 23, 2006). "Typhoid Mary". Snopes.com.
- "Mary Mallon (Typhoid Mary)". Am J Public Health / Nation's Health (American Public Health Association) 29 (1): 66–8. January 1939. doi:10.2105/AJPH.29.1.66. PMC 1529062. PMID 18014976.
- Aronson, S M (November 1995). "The civil rights of Mary Mallon". Rhode Island medicine 78 (11): 311–2. PMID 8547719.
- Brooks J (March 1996). "The sad and tragic life of Typhoid Mary". CMAJ 154 (6): 915–6. PMC 1487781. PMID 8634973.
- Finkbeiner, Ann K (1996). "Quite contrary: was "Typhoid Mary" Mallon a symbol of the threats to individual liberty or a necessary sacrifice to public health?". The Sciences 36 (5): 38–43. PMID 11657398.
External links[edit]
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mary Mallon. |
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Look up Typhoid Mary in Wiktionary, the free dictionary. |
- The Most Dangerous Woman in America at PBS.org
- Typhoid Mary at Snopes.com
- Typhoid Mary at Find a Grave
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- 1869 births
- 1938 deaths
- 19th-century Irish people
- 20th-century Irish people
- Burials in New York City
- Deaths from pneumonia
- Domestic workers
- Infectious disease deaths in New York
- Irish emigrants to the United States (before 1923)
- People from Cookstown
- People from New York City
- People from Oyster Bay, New York
- People in public health
- Stroke survivors
- Typhoid fever
- Women and death