During the 1800's, Typhoid Fever was a fatal disease, that frightened many. In 1838, doctors began treating outbreaks of the disease, refering to it as "poison." They came to discover that the disease could be spread through healthy people drinking contaminated water due to the excration of those infected. This caused people during this time to become more hygenic and sanitary in hopes of declining the spread of the disease. While the disease was prevelant in the 1800s, historians believe that it existed long before then, dating it all the way back to 430 B.C. when a plague killed one third of the population in Athens, as well as the 1600's, when the disease killed more than 6000 English settlers in Jamestown, Virgina. Throughout history, the typhoid fever affected many groups of people. A vaccine was founded in 1896 for soilders to stay healthy while at war. After this, the disease slowly started to decline and conditions started to improve.  

After studying and gaining a better understanding the severity of the Typhoid Fever, explains why Fred's mother was furious when Wench wrongfully diagnosed Fred and did not realize that he was indeed infected with Typhoid fever. Paralleling Typhoid Fever in 1830 with Coronavirus today in 2020, it is clear why Wench's mistake was so upsetting to the Vincy family. Fred could have easily lost his life due to the disease if Lydgate had not come in and helped. Lydgate had luckily studied Typhoid fever, and knew how to properly treat Fred back to health. Finding out a loved one was diagonosed with Typhoid fever during this time period had to cause some panic and worry to those living in the same household, because they could easily get sick as well. 

Works Cited: 

Smith, Yolanda "Typhoid Fever History." News Medical Life Sciences, 23 Aug. 2018, www.news-medical.net/health/Typhoid-Fever-History.aspx.