In the summer of Galveston's founding year, a mysterious malady accompanied by black vomit descended on the inhabitants. Even if Galvestonians had known the cause or the cure, they lacked the medical institutions to treat the illness. Four thousand souls perished in nine epidemics between 1839 and 1867 as the island paradise intermittently transformed into a "City of Dreadful Death." By the time of Galveston's final yellow fever outbreak in 1903, however, residents had become better informed and equipped. In the first written investigation into the island city's experience with the mosquito-borne disease, Jan Johnson profiles the medical professionals, charity organizations and other key figures in Galveston's fight against yellow fever. Book jacket.