I need a 300 word annotated commentary on a primary source. The source MUST be PRIMARY and it needs to tie to the topic of how people flocked to Cape May for its health benefits.
Disease
Disease was an unusual ally that aided in the successes of Cape May. There were a plethora of diseases that plagued America, including typhoid fever, yellow fever and cholera. These could be lethal, and they were found in large, crowded cities. The close quarters made the spread of disease rather easy. The most vulnerable were seniors and infants. In fact, infant mortality increased during the summer months. For this reason, people were encouraged to leave with their toddlers and move to the seaside in the summer. Of course, this was only possible for people of wealth, which led them to spend their money in resort locales, like Cape May.Other resorts often suffered some of the same issues as large cities. Toxic odors, inadequate sewage removal and the potential for malaria were serious problems. However, Cape May offered a more “disease-free” environment than other resorts by the coast. There was a local mineral spring that was thought to be medicinal by many visitors. Cape May has a natural drainage system on the peninsula. The inlet that separated the island eliminated all impurities from the waters, including potential disease.
