Joseph James Kinyoun: Discoverer of Bubonic Plague in America and Father of the National Institutes of Health

Description

In March 1900, Dr. Joseph James Kinyoun, a surgeon with the Marine Hospital Service and the founder of the Hygienic Laboratory, which became the National Institutes of Health, discovered bubonic plague in San Francisco. His finding led to an immediate outcry from the governor, local and state politicians, and the city's commercial interests. In the hyper-sensationalized journalism of San Francisco's newspapers, Kinyoun was ridiculed, leading to death threats and a $50,000 bounty on his head. Eventually, California's quarantine caused an enormous uproar. By the time a special federal commission produced a report (initially withheld from the public, leading to charges of a coverup) that vindicated Kinyoun, a deal had been brokered wherein the pioneering doctor was removed from his post. This book tells a timely story about yellow journalism, coverup, corruption, the struggle between science and politics, and the consequences of blind denial of the truth. Cover Acknowledgments Table of Contents Foreword Introduction I. The War Was Now Over II. The Marine Hospital Service III. The European Influence IV. The New Frontier V. The Pursuit: 1890–1891 VI. A Whirlwind of Discovery and Research: 1891–1894 VII. Widening the Realm: 1895–1896 VIII. The First Decade IX. Abroad Again X. War and the Third Pandemic XI. 1899: The Year of Great Upheaval XII. Angel Island XIII. Y. Pestis XIV. Venomous Pens XV. Darkening Clouds XVI. The Price of Truth XVII. Farewells Chapter Notes Bibliography Index