“TYPHOID MARY”

Wairarapa Times-Age, 11 January 1939, Page 8

“TYPHOID MARY”

AMERICAN GERM CARRIER. DIES IN EXILE. Mary Mallon, who for nearly 25 years lived exiled on an island in New York’s East River because she had spread typhoid to hundreds of people, has died at the age of 70. Paralysis and old age —not typhoid fever —overcame her. She was identified in the United States Health Department records as “Typhoid carrier No. 36.” In 1900 a series of epidemic occurred in Westchester, Long Island, and other places in New York State. Yet food and water were found to be pure. Seven years later the epidemics were traced to “Typhoid Mary,” by Dr George A. Soper, of New York City Health Department. The German bacteriologist, Dr Koch, had discovered that typhoid could be spread by an apparently healthy person.

Dr Soper found that in each house where typhoid broke out in spite of the purity of the food and water, Mary Mallon, a competent, neat, rather good-looking-irishwoman, had been employed as cook at the time.

Members of the Health Department and ‘the police raided the house where Mary was at the time of this discovery. There was a terrific fight. Mary bit, kicked and screamed.

She was taken to hospital, and found to be infected with typhoid germs, though herself apparently immune.

She never contracted the disease. The authorities pleaded with her undergo an operation which they thought would rid her of the contamination. She refused. She was sent to North Brother Island, in the East River. In 1910, she was released, after promising never to work as a cook again. In 1914 typhoid broke out in a sanatorium in New Jersey, and it was found that she had been working there as a cook. She left before she could be captured. Then it broke out in a maternity hospital in New York City, and of the 281 patients and employees, twenty-five went down with it and two died.

Mary Mallon, as Mrs Brown, had secured a job there. She fled, was captured and sent back to North Brother Island.

New York City built a cottage for her and paid her £l2 a month.