American Pandemic

March 12, 2012
The memories of the worst pandemic ever are all but lost. In a richly researched work that gives sobering context and voice to a flu that killed 675,000 Americans and 50 million worldwide in 1918–1919, University of Puget Sound history professor Bristow dispels the “costly amnesia” that followed the devastation. She notes how scientists were overconfident of their ability to control the flu, buoyed by the discovery of microbes responsible for a stunning list of deadly diseases. Bristow also describes the harrowing symptoms of the virulent flu and relates the heartbreaking stories of individuals raked by the disease, including the high proportion of young adults (usually the very young and old are most at risk) whose lungs filled like those “of the drowned.” And though poor and rich alike died, Bristow finds how differently the public judged “deserving” and “undeserving” victims. She also writes of the daunting public health task of stanching the flu’s spread—from mandated school closures to the wearing of face masks in public and the public’s frustration with, and resistance to, them. This enlightening history lifts the curtain on a remarkable period of destruction and endurance—and reminds us that those who forget history are condemned to relive it. Photos.