Public Health

Title: Death Certificate
Type: Document
Date: 1917
Source: Minnesota Historical Society

Description: Death certificates were completed for the families of those who died of smallpox.
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Activities:

1. What was Marion Flynn's occupation and why might this have put her at risk?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: She was a nurse and therefore would probably be exposed to smallpox at work.
2. How old was she when she was taken sick?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: She was 19 years old, which might seem young to be a nurse today, but the medical and educational requirements were not as demanding at that time and people needed to work to make money.
3. What might have prevented her case of smallpox?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: She had never been successfully vaccinated for the disease. If she had been, then she might not have caught it.
4. How long did it take after she contracted smallpox before she died?
   
   
   
   
   Answer: She became sick on June 3rd and died on June 10th, so it took seven days. Smallpox moved quickly to harm the body, so it was (and still can be) a very dangerous and frightening disease.