The Curious Case Of Typhoid Mary | Earth Science

One cook, multiple deaths, Peach ice cream and lots of bacteria. But was that cook the victim or the culprit?
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Welcome to BBC Earth Science! Here we answer all your curious questions about science in the world around you. If there’s a question you have that we haven’t yet answered let us know in the comments on any of our videos and it could be answered by one of our Earth Science experts.

[@justindie7543]

Why would she refuse to give them any samples? Especially after being held in isolation for decades? It seems like there was something she didn't want them to know.

[@mizu-mono]

Because she didn’t believe she has the disease lmao

[@lalaicyling8429]

She doesn't understand that you can be healthy and still carry virus

[@juhfreak]

The inspector walked into her workplace and asked for some poop. Probably would have offended any lady of her day. She was also a volatile personality with a hard life behind her, and being stubborn had been her survival technique up to that point. Mary's bad attitude combined with the inspector's rushing to quarantine her before proving her a danger made this all much more complicated than it had to be.

[@GameRevitalised]

if she was held in isolation for 2 years no 1 thought to force her to poop in a bucket over that time? cant be that hard to get someone's poop.

[@GabrielKnightz]

Please make a video on Hemophilia, the Royal Disease.

[@Wayfarer-Sailing]

"... the virus hit Oyster Bay..." (1:11). Are you sure about that? I could have sworn you just told us that it's a bacterial infection...

[@BBCEarthScience]

Good catch! Apologies for the mistake. Voice Over Guy has been given some peach ice cream.

[@valedrigo]

@@BBCEarthScience Let's hope he doesn't become a healthy carrier instead and infect you back xD Would become a new Typhoid Mary case all over

[@jessicag630]

Voice over guy? He will share the peach ice cream with the script writer and editor.

[@Aayushiupadhyay]

@@BBCEarthScience 😂😂💜

[@gerasimosst8643]

A virus did hit Oyster Bay at the same time of a bacterial infection. A 2 in 1 package of subliminal info

[@AtLeastK]

Considering that she was given plenty of opportunities to fix her problem, then refusing in favor of infecting and killing people, I wouldn't even mind if she was arrested. That's what happens when you're responsible for peoples death.

[@TheCrotchetyoldwoman]

Removing her gallbladder would not have stopped her from being a carrier and might have killed her. Anti Irish bigotry by the educated elite had a lot to do with how badly New York handled this case.

[@JuanEnriqueFloresJr]

Agreed

[@Sonyag1]

Mary Mallon was terribly selfish after she learned that she was an asymptomatic carrier of the disease. IMO she needed to stay on that quarantine island for the sake of the public, as Mary couldn't leave the food service work field.

[@magzelyify]

._.

[@celinak5062]

They should have explained to her that it was her peach ice cream even if she was a shant in their eyes, and in the two years she was on the island they could have had her in an apprenticeship so she could have found as good work as she had before.

[@deedeeannash]

Much is made of the supposed lack of education provided to Mary. She possessed a few key pieces of information. 1. She knew enough to make herself scarce whenever people were dropping around her. 2. She knew enough about her culpability to lie low and change her name multiple times well in advance of being discovered by the hired detective. 3. She knew that proper hand washing was expected of the cook. She more than earned her infamy and quarantine.

[@TheLeporad]

How do you sustain such good video quality while having such low views.

[@Diiablox]

BBC funding

[@shubhamrawat3366]

So coronavirus is helping to explore these kinda videos 😕

[@Dev-tt1lv]

Amazing Video!

[@dukubhutia5796]

Had studied about her in microbiology book

[@marcolatn]

she is a killer. they told ther not to do it and she did it anyways... lots of people died because of her... incredible...

[@magzelyify]

•o• who's this Mary Mallon?

[@magzelyify]

Who else wants my vanilla-peach ice cream?

[@nilchem2023]

Hi, i am wondering how can i find the transcript of this video? The Curious Case Of Typhoid Mary - Brit Lab

[@RatusMax]

She's a villain... no doubt. She went back to go cook.

[@juhfreak]

She didn't trust the people who imprisoned her without due process. I'm sure she was an unpleasant person but I can understand why she was so unwilling to cooperate with the authorities who mistreated her. A lesson for us all: don't be an asshole, and don't abuse your power and authority.

[@RatusMax]

​@@juhfreak I had to rewatch this because I forgot I even watched this but here's my new take. This is the problem with not educating people how viruses and bacteria work. She was very ignorant of the process. Even before being detained she probably ignored what they were telling her. They probably first told her that 7/8 of the faimilies she worked for got typhoid. They probably told her that the current family came down with typhoid. They asked for a piece of her $hit. She didn't even give a $HIT!! After she was removed from the situation and the problem stopped. Any fool should have realized they were the problem at this point. She refused to get treated for the public problem. She PROMISED to NEVER work as a cook again. 5 years later, she works as a cook. People get sick again. At this point there is no denying she is the problem..... Hmmm looking at this...The way I see it, it was probably her plan. Away from the war, free food, free room, no payments. That's a good retirement island truthfully. Social Security didn't exist yet...They won't kill her or put her in an actual jail because they need data upon her death. That's why she didn't let them solve the problem....fk man...she's smart...

[@yehldyehld]

​@@juhfreakMate, they literally let her go if she promised not to cook and she ignored it anyway. She isn't the victim here lol.

[@markko0]

thumbs down for calling it a virus

[@___Zack___]

@BBC Earth Lab @1:10 "the virus hit Oyster Bay" Uhm, excuse me? Virus??

[@black_platypus]

Two years? O.o How long can it take to get a stool sample?? :D

[@riripari2042]

some people may think she was treated unfairly, but I have no sympathy for her. They let her go as long as she was willing to keep her word. Let her go free and what does she do? Well after being unhappy with different lower paying job she had she changed her name and got a job as a cook at a hospital where she could infect even more people. Hospitals suck enough without having to worry about food poisoning. There she infected 22 people and killed 2.

[@venkateshmahesh2710]

Typhoid is caused by Salmonella typhi which is bacteria not a virus 1:10

[@sethjones5250]

Cubs Win!

[@loganv0410]

Hey Brit Lab There are major differences between virii and bacteria TF is a bacterial disease Check your script better next time

[@brianh.000]

See Wayferer's comment for the proper way to address this. Addressing someone as, "hey" is probably not a good start. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

[@mikeyresmini3687]

heello You must be people from 4 years ago You must vbe old

[@Aayushiupadhyay]

its bacterial not viral..1:11💁‍♀

[@aizasaed170]

bacteria, not virus!

[@Tom-to5xe]

And 3rd place goes to...

[@ElBadriano]

Screw personal rights and liberty if it endangers the general public

[@yehldyehld]

Mary was incredibly selfish.

[@roshanchacko7606]

first

[@sbomorse]

Roshan Giji Congratulations. A member of the team will be along shortly with your prize...