University of Virginia Historical Collections at the Claude Moore Health Sciences Library

Introduction: Illuminating a Different Civil War in the Fight against Typhoid Fever

Walter Reed, Burnished by Yellow Fever but Frustrated by Typhoid Fever.

Walter Reed. Burnished by Yellow Fever but Frustrated by Typhoid Fever. Bronze sculpture by Hans Schuler, 1905. Historical Collections, Claude Moore Health Sciences Library, University of Virginia.

 

Walter Reed

Walter Reed’s professional experiences with typhoid fever stand in marked contrast to his professional encounters with yellow fever. In the case of typhoid, he was more a messenger than a conqueror. Typhoid fever remained defiant during a career that oversaw the rout of yellow fever. Through a humanizing story that shows how fate brought Reed continuing frustration as well as talent and success, this exhibit seeks to render him a more accessible role model for students of medicine and history.