States, A: Military Surgeon, Vol. 45 (Classic Reprint)

Excerpt from The Military Surgeon, Vol. 45

In passing, it is interesting to Observe that nobody who hired Mary seems to have inquired personally into her references. It seems that the names Of some of her former employers were available, but it appears not to be the custom of the patrons of fashion able employment bureaus to inquire deeply into the personal history of the servants. Mary always was accepted on the recommendation of the proprietor. He was trusted to run a genuine intelligence bureau and it is but right to say that, on the whole, he discharged his Obligations admirably.

The effort to work out Typhoid Mary's history was only partly successful. There were many false clews and puzzling circumstances. The mystery which had at first surrounded her continued and was often completely baf¿ing. Sometimes it was somebody's memory which was at fault - few housekeepers seem to know anything about their cooks, much less recall the food which they have eaten weeks and months ago. Yet this information, in some instances, was indispensable.

Sometimes it appeared that persons were deliberately refusing to tell what they knew. Twice, I think I talked with members of Mary's family, but I could never be sure of It. Servants who had been asso cisted with her never gave any help.

Try as I would, Typhoid Mary's whereabouts for only parts of the ten years before the Oyster Bay outbreak could be determined with unmistakable certainty. About two years of the preceding five remained unaccounted for. In ten years She is known to have worked for eight families and in seven of these typhoid had occurred. She had always escaped in the epidemics with which she had been connected.

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