The Cruelest Miles: The Heroic Story of Dogs and Men in a Race Against An Epidemic, by Gay Salisbury (HC, 2003, ex-lib., $2)
In 1925 Nome, Alaska, which is only two degrees below the Arctic Circle, was cut off from all outside contact for 7 months of the year. Airplanes were only just beginning to be able to get there, but only in good weather. The closest railroad stopped more than 700 miles away, on the other side of the mountains, rivers, and ice. The only people to make it in during those seven months were the ones who, arriving by dog sled, delivered the mail.
In 1925, after the last boat had left, some Eskimo children developed serve sore throats. The area's one doctor, Curtis Welch, was concerned. All too soon his worries turned to fear. One child died, and then another. Both children and adults started showing the symptoms of diphtheria, and he all he had was expired serum. He had ordered a fresh supply, but it never arrived. He notified Washington's Public Health Department, and then he prayed.
This was the start of a heroic attempt to get enough serum to Nome to keep more from dying. Less than 10 years earlier the flu had killed off 40% of the native population. Now it was diphtheria's turn. Weather joined in the fun- a blizzard with -60 degree temperatures. Time was not on their side. Even the best dogs and drivers could only travel 50 miles in a day, and each day counted. Right until the very end, pilots hoped to chance the trip, but the winds were too strong, sometimes more than 65 mph.
This left the dogs and their drivers. Alaskans knew the rule- never take out dogs when it is colder than 40 below. Mercury freezes below that. Steam rises from exposed skin. Even when the temperature was above 40, the trip could be deadly. Still, the relay began, and six days later the serum got through. The final driver, who was white, would end up in Hollywood. Most of the Native drivers, and it was they who made up the majority of drivers, were never even interviewed.
Two parts of this story hit me hard. One, the heroism of the drivers and dogs. The other, information about diphtheria. Prior to the 1820s mortality from laryngeal diphtherer was close to 100%. The anti-toxin developed in 1891 improved the odds immensely. A vaccine had discovered in 1924, but was not in use in time for this epidemic. Since the 1940s the vaccine has been part of the DPT immunization given to children before entering school. What a wonderful advance! With diphtheria a child starts with a sore throat, which crusts over, the crusts forming a larger and larger membrane in the throat. The child eventually suffocates. Wow! I wonder if knowing this would make people reconsider their refusal to give children immunizations? To me, diphtheria is one of the worst ways to die.
Look for this book on the new non-fiction section, avail. 3/14. (Later- gen. nf)
