Traces the massive effort to contain an outbreak of bubonic plague in 1900 San Francisco, detailing how the process was complicated by virulent racism, pseudoscience, and political cover-ups.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Prologue: Fighting the devil with fire -- Across the sea -- The Nippon Maru -- The imperial city -- Criminal idiocy -- Fault lines -- Quarantine -- Oust the faker -- An infamous compact -- An impossible task -- A most peculiar team -- As soon as possible -- The unpleasant past -- For god's sake send food -- Two percent -- The worst corner of hell -- One of California's adopted sons -- Cast aside -- A hero once more -- Epilogue: how close we came.