Butler Typhoid Fever Epidemic Certificate of Gratitude for Services Rendered
date: label: date made
content: 1904-04-01
notes: label: Description
content: Engraved certificate of gratitude presented to Birdie P. Gross in recognition of her service as a relief nurse during the typhoid epidemic in Butler, Pennsylvania in the winter of 1903-1904. Presented on behalf of the Citizens Relief Committee of Butler. Birdie P. Gross, graduated in 1904 from the nursing program at the Medico-Chirurgical Hospital in Philadelphia.
label: Description
content: In late October 1903, in the small town of Butler, Pennsylvania, about 30 miles north of Pittsburg, an epidemic of typhoid fever broke out. Before the epidemic ran its course about 1,400 people were taken sick and more than 100 had died. The epidemic was noted as especially severe – perhaps the worst since 1885 when the disease struck Plymouth, Pennsylvania. The town citizens formed a relief committee and sought help from the state and nation. Clara Barton herself showed up to survey the situation and issued a national appeal for help, and a special team of graduate nurses and doctors from Philadelphia were sent to help. The Philadelphia team set up a temporary hospital, The City of Brotherly Love Hospital, in a town hotel and proceeded to help nurse the citizens back to health.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Pennsylvania, Butler
topic: label: associated subject
content: Nursing
label: associated subject
content: Typhoid Fever
setName: label: See more items in
content: Medicine and Science: Medicine
label: See more items in
content: Antibody Initiative: Infectious Disease, Allergy, and Immunotherapy Collections
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: 2014.3012.0376
label: nonaccession number
content: 2014.3012
label: catalog number
content: 2014.3012.0376
objectType: label: Object Name
content: certificate
physicalDescription: label: Measurements
content: overall: 9 7/8 in x 8 in; 25.0825 cm x 20.32 cm