Blood and Germs

September 28, 2020
Drawing from extensive archival sources, Jarrow (The Poison Eaters) debuts her Medical Fiascoes trilogy by skillfully narrating Civil War stories of soldiers who died not from bullets but from diseases such as typhus, typhoid, tuberculosis, gangrene, and malaria, and of the doctors and nurses who tried to save them. As Jarrow tells it, epidemics raged as fiercely as battles during the Civil War—thousands of soldiers died from measles and smallpox, which were so contagious that entire military regiments had to be disbanded and sent home. In the winter of 1862–63, one in six Confederate soldiers had pneumonia, but worst of all was chronic diarrhea, which “killed more Civil War soldiers than any other disease.” The book skillfully incorporates 19th-century newspaper typefaces and archival photographs, and employs eye-catching headings such as “Mercury and Maggots” and “Malignant Pus.” Jarrow also packs her pages with profiles of little-known heroes, such as Alexander Augusta, the first Black doctor to become a commissioned surgeon in the Union Army, and military doctor Mary Walker, the only woman to ever receive the Congressional Medal of Honor. The book’s timeline, glossary, and bibliography are also valuable resources. Ages 10–14.