Diphtheria

by Phillip Margulies

Diseases that we no longer consider dangerous were some of the most deadly diseases of their time. Diphtheria, a disease that caused breathing difficulties, suffocation, heart failure, and paralysis, was one of the most feared killers during the 1800s. During the peak years of diphtheria epidemics, 150,000 people a year became infected, and 15,000 of those died. The discovery of a treatment for diphtheria is one of modern medicine's greatest success stories, told here in gripping style. Once called "the strangling angel of children," diphtheria has become a rarity in the developed world, even as the fight against it continues in Africa, Asia, and Central America.

Library Binding

First published January 1, 2005