The yellow fever epidemic in Philadelphia moved quickly and killed thousands of people. As mentioned in the previous answer, Dr. Benjamin Rush tried a number of herbal treatments to help patients. He continued to use various unorthodox treatments in order to try and assist the many people suffering from the epidemic. He apparently found success by using what were even then considered medieval-era treatments: bloodletting and leeches. These methods are used to remove infected blood and, although considered archaic for hundreds of years, contemporary hospitals have begun using leeches in limited situations, and bloodletting is finding renewed interest as a holistic treatment. Dr. Rush also administered a mercury compound known as calomel as a way of purging the bowels, which was also helpful to victims of yellow fever.

Records show that Rush did manage to "decrease mortality" with his controversial methods. Rush at one point contracted yellow fever himself, and after directing his assistants to administer his prescribed treatments, he survived and was later praised for the work he did to address the epidemic.

Yellow fever is incurable and can only be prevented via vaccination. In 1793, those who could afford to left the cities to avoid outbreaks. For the unfortunate victims of the disease, treatments included bed rest, efforts to purify the air, and quarantine. Dr. Benjamin Rush recorded his unsuccessful efforts to treat yellow fever, which included:

administering shaved tree bark with wine, brandy, and aromatics such as ginger or cinnamon, as well sweating the fever out by coating a patient's body with a thick salve of herbs and chemicals, and he even tried wrapping the whole body in a blanket of warm vinegar.