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American History

19th Century Woman Mummified Inside the Airtight Metallic Case

Martha Peterson - Coffin

A US Smallpox quarantine sign. Wikimedia.

22. Killer Smallpox

The fear of forensic scientists and the CDC is indeed understandable. Before its eradication, Smallpox was an incredibly infectious and deadly disease, causing numerous epidemics. Smallpox has likely killed more humans throughout history than any other single infectious agent, including the Black Death. In highly dense urban areas, like 19th century Queens, Smallpox tended to wreak havoc and infect many of the city’s poorest residents. The mummy appears to have been one of those victims

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