Book Review- "Fever 1793" by Laurie Halse Anderson

"Fever 1793" is an exceptional novel about an actual Yellow Fever epidemic that  occurred in 1793 Philadelphia.

Young Mattie Cook and her family run a Coffeehouse in late  eighteenth century Philadelphia when the epidemic strikes. When Mattie's mother is infected with the disease, Mattie is sent to the countryside with her grandfather.

Eventually Mattie herself becomes infected and she goes through a terrible ordeal trying to survive not only her own illness but also the near breakdown of  authority in the city.

Filled with historical detail and memorable, realistic characters, Fever 1793, transports the reader back to a time that young people today would barely recognize.

Book Review- "The Century of The Surgeon" by Jurgen Thorwald

Medical surgery has become so routine that it's easy to forget that modern surgery is only about 150 years old.

In earlier times, even the most minor surgery was exceptionally hazardous and usually performed by non-doctors. The author's descriptions of pre-modern surgeries are painful to read. One can only imagine of the agony of the patient being operated on.

We all owe so much to the pioneer surgeons who often went against the conventional knowledge of the time in order to save their patients.