Memphis Hospitals and Medical Center (since 1820-present)

America's first hospitals were only open to travelers and transients by law. Citizens who got sick were treated in their homes. In 1829, the first public hospitals in Memphis was established the hospital assisted river travelers and being used as a military hospital during the civil war. The yellow fever epidemic of 1878 almost wiped Memphis off the map- with a death toll higher than either the attack on pearl harbor or 9/11. By 1920, because of all those years of living with yellow fever, Memphis had one of the largest medical complex in America. The University of Tennessee Colleges of Medicine, dentistry and pharmacy moved to Memphis and merged with the Memphis Hospital Medical College and College of Physicians and Surgeons. There were other hospital such as, Baptist Memorial Hospital, St. Joseph's and Methodist Hospital, as well as the Memphis General. 

Yellow Fever Outbreak 

1878, first victim of Memphis yellow fever epidemic dies.

 On, August 13, 1878, Kate Bionda a resturant owner dies of yellow fever in Memphis ,TN. 

Yellow fever which is carried by mosquitos originally came from West Africa and was brought to the United States on slave ship. The diease requires warm weather to survive and thrive in wet and hot summers when mosiquitoes can breed prodigiously. Symptoms, is flu-like symtoms such as fever and aches and the victim may start vomiting blood and suffers liver and renal failure. Jaundice is also a typical symptom, which is how yellow fever got it's name. If victims dies, its usually happen within two weeks. Memphis, is a city of 50,000, had outbreaks in 1855, 1867, and 1873. Those who came down with yellow fever were qurantined in an effort to prevent the diease from spreading. Yellow Jackets were worn in the lab as a means of identification. In, July 1878, an outbreaks of yellow fever was reported in Vickburg, just South of Memphis, Memphis officials reacted by stopping travel to the city's from the South.