South Carolina's last yellow fever epidemic: Manning Simons at Port Royal, 1877.

Throughout the 19th century, yellow fever was the scourge of southern coastal cities. Because of primitive diagnostic tools, differential diagnosis during epidemics was often difficult. Many patients were diagnosed with "malarial fever," breakbone fever, "the prevailing fever," and "mild yellow fever," to name a few. Dr. Manning Simon's opportunity to study an almost "pure" epidemic of yellow fever among an "unacclimated" population was a breakthrough in diagnostic medicine. Fortunately, his findings were not to be needed again in South Carolina, since this was the last outbreak of yellow fever in the state.