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The timeline can be navigated with the “Scroll Left” and “Scroll Right” buttons or by dragging the pointer to a date on the timeline waveform (located at the bottom of the screen on the desktop version and on the left of the screen on mobile). To filter by a particular topic and see a smaller section of the data, make a selection on the dropdown “Filters” menu or click “Search” to do a keyword search. Hover over the abbreviated filter tags in the blue boxes to see the complete name of the filter, or click a filter to display all the data with this tag. If you want to take a deeper dive into a specific topic by viewing a narrative essay page and a curated timeline, click on “Stories.”

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On the left, an illustration of a child with spotty marks all over his body. On the right, a child whose complexion is quite pink/red.
Illustration of measles and scarlet fever.

Scarlet fever epidemic in New England.

1858

EPD
CHIL
Illustration of measles and scarlet fever.

Scarlet fever is a more dangerous form of strep throat. Children are at the highest risk for this disease. It is very common throughout the 19th century, and referenced in many novels and children’s books from the era.