Walter Reed and Typhoid Fever, 1897-1911

Illuminating a Different Civil War

Walter Reed, Burnished by Yellow Fever but Frustrated by Typhoid Fever.

Walter Reed’s professional experiences with typhoid fever stand in marked contrast to his professional encounters with yellow fever. In the case of typhoid, he was more a messenger than a conqueror. Typhoid fever remained defiant during a career that oversaw the rout of yellow fever. Through a humanizing story that shows how fate brought Reed continuing frustration as well as talent and success, this exhibit seeks to render him a more accessible role model for students of medicine and history.