A Man Named Hoffman Summary and Analysis

Donald Hoffman was an insulation installer in Ohio in 1964 when he consulted a doctor for an itchy sore on his neck. Because he worked with fiberglass, his physician diagnosed a fiberglass intrusion with concurrent infection. The sore became worse, and Hoffman was experiencing lack of appetite, exhaustion and fever as well. A second doctor suspected cellulitis and sent him to the hospital. By this time, swelling had extended on his neck and downward onto his chest, and he was placed on aggressive antibiotic treatment. The following day, Hoffman went into shock twice, had difficulty breathing and was dead by the next morning. Blood samples taken during the autopsy confirmed the presence of anthrax.

Anthrax is a microorganism that affects primarily farm animals, but man can contract it through contact with either an infected animal or...