History of medicine Books

Book SynopsisMedicine carries the burden of its own troubling history. Over centuries, women''s bodies have been demonised and demeaned until we feared them, felt ashamed of them, were humiliated by them. But as doctors, researchers, campaigners and most of all as patients, women have continuously challenged medical orthodoxy. Medicine''s history has always been, and is still being, rewritten by women''s resistance, strength and incredible courage. In this ground-breaking history Elinor Cleghorn unpacks the roots of the perpetual misunderstanding, mystification and misdiagnosis of women''s bodies, illness and pain. From the ''wandering womb'' of ancient Greece to today''s shifting understanding of hormones, menstruation and menopause, Unwell Women is the revolutionary story of women who have suffered, challenged and rewritten medical misogyny. Drawing on Elinor''s own experience as an unwell woman, this is a powerful and timely exposé of the medical world and woman''s place

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Book SynopsisA SUNDAY TIMES HISTORY BOOK OF THE YEAR 'A triumph' Guardian 'Glorious ... makes the past at once familiar, exotic and thrilling.' Dominic Sandbrook 'A brilliant book' Mail on Sunday Just like us, medieval men and women worried about growing old, got blisters and indigestion, fell in love and had children. And yet their lives were full of miraculous and richly metaphorical experiences radically different to our own, unfolding in a world where deadly wounds might be healed overnight by divine intervention, or the heart of a king, plucked from his corpse, could be held aloft as a powerful symbol of political rule. In this richly-illustrated and unusual history, Jack Hartnell uncovers the fascinating ways in which people thought about, explored and experienced their physical selves in the Middle Ages, from Constantinople to Cairo and Canterbury. Unfolding like a medieval pageant, and filled with saints, soldiers, caliphs, queens, monks and monstrous beasts, it throws light on the medieval body from head to toe - revealing the surprisingly sophisticated medical knowledge of the time in the process. Bringing together medicine, art, music, politics, philosophy and social history, there is no better guide to what life was really like for the men and women who lived and died in the Middle Ages. Medieval Bodies is published in association with Wellcome Collection.Trade ReviewA brilliant book ... beautifully illustrated ... A triumphant piece of historical writing -- Kathryn Hughes * Mail on Sunday *An extraordinary story and a wonderfully rich study of the Middle Ages ... Hartnell's idea of approaching the medieval worldview through the body is inspired ... This beautifully illustrated book succeeds brilliantly in bringing this much maligned period to life ... A triumph of scholarship. -- PD Smith * Guardian *One of the achievements of this splendid book is to make our world view seem more narrow and fragmented than that of the extensive period we place somewhere between the Dark Ages and the Renaissance ... at every point you'll encounter wit, learning and riveting stories. A wonderful read. -- Melanie McDonagh * Evening Standard *An erudite, wide-ranging, thoughtfully illustrated book -- Laura Freeman * The Times *'Glorious ... makes the past at once familiar, exotic and thrilling.' Dominic Sandbrook, The Sunday Times -- Dominic Sandbrook * Sunday Times *A thick, spicy plum pudding of a book * London Review of Books *

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Book SynopsisWinner of the Elizabeth Longford prize for Historical Biography ''Engrossing'' Claire Tomalin / ''Superb'' Sunday Times / ''A triumph'' Daily Mail Whether honoured and admired or criticized and ridiculed, Florence Nightingale has invariably been misrepresented and misunderstood. As the Lady with the Lamp, ministering to the wounded and dying of the Crimean War, she offers an enduring image of sentimental appeal and one that is permanently lodged in our national consciousness. But the awesome scale of her achievements over the course of her 90 years is infinitely more troubling - and inspiring - than this mythical simplification. From her tireless campaigning and staggering intellectual abilities to her tortured relationship with her sister and her distressing medical condition, this vivid and immensely readable biography draws on a wealth of unpublished material and previously unseen family papers, disentangling the myth from the reality and reinv

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Book SynopsisWinner of the 2015 Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-FictionShortlisted for the Wellcome Book PrizeA Sunday Times and New York Times bestsellerForeword by Oliver SacksWhat is autism: a devastating developmental condition, a lifelong disability, or a naturally occurring form of cognitive difference akin to certain forms of genius? In truth, it is all of these things and more - and the future of our society depends on our understanding it. Following on from his groundbreaking article 'The Geek Syndrome', Wired reporter Steve Silberman unearths the secret history of autism, long suppressed by the same clinicians who became famous for discovering it, and finds surprising answers to the crucial question of why the number of diagnoses has soared in recent years.Going back to the earliest autism research and chronicling the brave and lonely journey of autistic people and their families through the decades, Silberman provides long-sought solutions to the autism puzzle while casting light on the growing movement of 'neurodiversity' and mapping out a path towards a more humane world for people with learning differences.Trade ReviewStunning... Highly original... Outstanding. * Spectator, Best Books of 2015 *A sprawling and fascinating dissection of the role autism has played in shaping human history. * Daily Telegraph, Best Books of 2015 *Whatever the future of autism...Mr Silberman has surely written the definitive book about its past. * The Economist, Best Books of 2015 *A rich amalgam of social history and contemporary reportage. * Financial Times, Best Books of 2015 *[An] epic history of autism. * Sunday Telegraph *Ambitious, meticulous and largehearted... Beautifully told, humanizing, important. * New York Times, Best Books of 2015 *Silberman's phenomenal book goes a long way to uncovering some of the myths about this particular "tribe" and is all for recognising their incredible talents and contributions to society. * The Sun *Brilliant and sparklingly humane. * Guardian, Best Books of 2015 *NeuroTribes is deeply felt. * The Times, Best Books of 2015 *Powerful, authoritative... This is a significant book. * The Sunday Times, Best Books of 2015 *It's not just a book about autism but a journey through the history of cognitive difference and our evolving attitudes towards it. * Metro, Best Books of 2015 *Silberman sheds a sage and humane light on a much-misrepresented aspect of human nature. * Independent, Best Books of the Year *Steve Silberman explores in fascinating, near-encyclopaedic depth how autism has evolved. It's a gripping narrative written with journalistic verve. * Observer *Silberman is a skilled storyteller... [He] researches with scientific rigour... A powerful voice: NeuroTribes offers keen insight. * New Statesman *Silberman's sweeping history is always sensitive and builds a persuasive argument that the ability to think differently is useful, necessary even, for the success of the modern world. * New Scientist *This excellent book is the result of fifteen years of work. As the late Oliver Sacks put it, "I know of no one else who has spent so much time simply listening, trying to understand what it is like to be autistic." -- William Leith * Evening Standard, Best Books of 2015 *A tome that beautifully, compassionately and brutally traces the history of autism from centuries past into the present and possible future... Everyone needs to read this book. Everyone. * Forbes *NeuroTribes is remarkable. Silberman has done something unique: he's taken the dense and detailed history of autism and turned the story into a genuine page-turner. The book is sure to stir considerable discussion. -- John Elder Robison, author of Look Me in the EyeA lively, readable book... To read NeuroTribes is to realize how much autistic people have enriched the scope of human knowledge and diversity, and how impoverished the world would be without them. * San Francisco Chronicle, Best Books of 2015 *A comprehensive history of the science and culture surrounding autism studies... An essential resource. * Nature magazine *Breathtaking... As emotionally resonant as any [book] this year. * The Boston Globe, Best Books of 2015 *It's a readable, engaging story. But it's also a serious political and sociological critique, couched in a 500-page-long piece of original historical scholarship. * Salon *Nothing short of a revelation... Sweeping and lovingly detailed. * Parent.co *The monks who inscribed beautiful manuscripts during the Middle Ages, Cavendish an 18th century scientist who explained electricity, and many of the geeks in Silicon Valley are all on the autism spectrum. Silberman reviews the history of autism treatments from horrible blaming of parents to the modern positive neurodiversity movement. Essential reading for anyone interested in psychology. -- Temple Grandin, author of Thinking in Pictures and The Autistic BrainIt is a beautifully written and thoughtfully crafted book, a historical tour of autism, richly populated with fascinating and engaging characters, and a rallying call to respect difference. * Science magazine *Epic and often shocking... Everyone with an interest in the history of science and medicine - how it has failed us, surprised us and benefited us - should read this book. * Chicago Tribune *The best book you can read to understand autism. * Gizmodo *This is perhaps the most significant history of the discovery, changing conception and public reaction to autism we will see in a generation. * TASH.org *A well-researched, readable report on the treatment of autism that explores its history and proposes significant changes for its future... In the foreword, Oliver Sacks writes that this "sweeping and penetrating history...is fascinating reading" that "will change how you think of autism." No argument with that assessment. * Kirkus Reviews *Stunning...a remarkable narrative...one of the most fascinating accounts of autism I have ever read. -- Simon Baron-Cohen * The Lancet *Essential reading if you have an autistic child; highly recommended for anyone with an interest in the workings of the mind. * The Tablet *The story of autism reads more like a novel, with a vivid cast of characters, power struggles, obsessions - and heroic efforts of insight. * The Psychologist *

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Book SynopsisA FINALIST FOR THE ORWELL PRIZE FOR POLITICAL WRITING 2023 SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2023 INDIE CHAMPIONS AWARDS FOR NON-FICTION A FINANCIAL TIMES BEST SUMMER BOOK 2023 'Prepare to be blown away' CHIKWE IHEKWEAZU, Assistant Director General at WHO 'Important and ambitious' OBSERVER This searing polemic reveals how racism and colonialism have shaped science and medicine - leading to the health inequalities we see all around us today. Activist, doctor and patient, Annabel Sowemimo reinserts the stories of Black and Indigenous scientists and doctors into the historical narrative, reframing how we see the 'objective' systems we operate within. In confronting this history, she argues for better understanding of our collective past to bring about urgent change. 'Outstanding ... I can't stress the importance of this book strongly enough' JACQUELINE ROY, author of The Fat Lady Sings 'An unflinching, hugely eye-opening exploration of medicine's brutal colonial history' THE iTrade ReviewDivided is a vital call to action. With passion and expertise, Dr Sowemimo exposes the racism in modern medicine and shows us how we can - and must - transform healthcare for future generations -- Leah HazardAn unflinching, hugely eye-opening exploration of medicine's brutal colonial history * The i *Important and ambitious ... Divided is a necessary book ... A call to action -- Roopa Farooki, Book of the Day * Observer *An illuminating and powerful intersectional analysis of health inequalities and racism * i-D Magazine, All the books to be excited for in 2023 *Annabel Sowemimo ... is taking the art of curating stories that matter to another level. Prepare to be blown away -- Chikwe Ihekweazu, Assistant Director General at WHODivided restores [historic Black and Indigenous scientists] to the history of medicine and makes a convincing case for decolonising healthcare * New Scientist *Through meticulous research and compelling story-telling, the book is an erudite and urgent examination of how modern medicine is intertwined with colonial histories and racist ideas. Annabel deftly weaves history, her own experiences and contemporary inequalities into a powerful and urgent book. While essential reading for anyone working in healthcare, Annabel reminds us that the arts and humanities were also instrumental in communicating so-called 'scientific' ideas about race that informed medical practices ... important reading for anyone engaged in anti-racist and decolonising work across all disciplines -- Joanna Wolfarth, author of MILKNecessary. In the right hands, this book will save lives -- Nova Reid, author of THE GOOD ALLYThis outstanding book should be mandatory reading for all medical practitioners. Beautifully written and erudite, yet highly accessible, it conveys some uncomfortable truths about the unequal treatment of patients of colour, locating the origins of this in European colonialism, history and science. It provides a basis for bringing an end to discriminatory practices, which couldn't be more timely, particularly in the context of COVID. Annabel Sowemimo's compassion and humanity shine through. I can't stress the importance of this book strongly enough -- Jacqueline Roy, author of THE FAT LADY SINGSWide-ranging in scope, Divided is an important contribution to the literature on racism and health. Dr Sowemimo challenges us to think deeper about what we know about medicine and question what we have been taught. Divided is an essential book for anyone working in healthcare, and will be of interest to anyone who is a patient. I will be recommending it far and wide! -- Dr Rageshri DhairyawanThis polemic [...] explains how health divisions are not accidental but occur because of ways in which modern healthcare is built on the back of race science and our colonial history * Bookseller, Editor's Choice *

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Book SynopsisHistory is dominated by A-list deaths: queens beheaded; archdukes assassinated. But what about everyone else? How did ordinary people depart this life and grieve for loved ones - and which of the old ways might help us prepare for the end?Our ancestors, living closer to death than we do, had a more intimate and integrated relationship with death as a familiar presence in daily life. From the death-watchers of the Middle Ages to the pomp of Victorian funeral wear, by way of plague pits, grave-robberies and wakes, historian and bereavement counsellor Molly Conisbee explores how cycles of dying, death and disposal have shaped - and been shaped by - society. She examines, through the prism of past deaths, their interweaving with our beliefs and politics, our most fervent hopes and deepest fears and, ultimately, what it means to 'die well'. A groundbreaking new work of social history, No Ordinary Deaths paints a rich picture of the lives of our forebears, skilfully bringing the lost art of death to life today.

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Book SynopsisThe body is the most complex machine in the world, but what happens when the parts start to fail? Meet the scientists facing the challenge

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Book SynopsisPaul Fallon is a Senior Practitioner for Nursing and Lecturer in Mental Health at the University of Salford, UKTrade ReviewThis is an innovative, interesting book offering the reader an overview of a variety of ‘common’ (that is often diagnosed) mental illnesses, contextualising each through a historical lens and using well known people to bring to the fore the impact of such illness on a person’s life. Clever use is made of people referred to in the book, rather than focusing on one specific person, Paul offers the reader short vignettes of a number of people from previous historical periods to 21st century figures to demonstrate the socio-political nature of a given illness and its treatment over time. This book is a powerful and fascinating read for anyone interested in psychiatry, prompting the reader to give critical thought to the wider context of mental illness and the impact it has on the lives of those who experience it. * Dr Sue McAndrew, Professor of Mental Health and Young People, University of Salford *Table of Contents1. Anxiety Disorders 2. Depression 3. Dementia 4. Eating Disorders 5. Psychosis 6. Bipolar Disorder 7. Dual Diagnosis.

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Book SynopsisFrom the bestselling author of Everything Bad is Good For You, Steven Johnson''s The Ghost Map vividly recreates Victorian London to show how huge populations live together, how cities can kill - and how they can save us. Steven Johnson is one of today''s most exciting writers about popular culture, urban living and new technology. In The Ghost Map he tells the story of the terrifying cholera epidemic that engulfed London in 1854, and the two unlikely heroes - anesthetist Doctor John Snow and affable clergyman Reverend Henry Whitehead - who defeated the disease through a combination of local knowledge, scientific research and map-making. In telling their extraordinary story, Steven Johnson also explores a whole world of ideas and connections, from urban terror to microbes, ecosystems to the Great Stink, cultural phenomena to street life. ''A wonderful book''  Mail on Sunday ''A thumping page-turne

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Book SynopsisThe fascinating and dramatic story of a forgotten, life-saving cure to conquer deadly bacterial infections - bacteriophages - and the remarkable scientists behind themWhen antibiotics started to fail the race to save humanity from deadly antibiotic resistant infections began. Science journalist Lina Zeldovich reveals the remarkable history of bacteriophages or 'phages', through the colourful lives of the British, French, Soviet and American scientists who discovered, developed and are now reviving this unique living medicine for seemingly incurable diseases.Starting with the original discovery of bacteriophages, or 'phages', in 1917, Zeldovich reveals how they were all but forgotten as antibiotics rose to medical stardom in the West and Stalin purged leading scientists behind them in the former Soviet Union. It was only when patients started dying from antibiotic resistant infections that those scientists who fled the former Soviet Union realised their unique knowledge of phages presented a safe and effective solution for the future of humanity. Today new work has begun to develop this cure to safeguard our future.Eye-opening, gripping and impeccably researched, The Living Medicine is a remarkable portrayal of how curiosity, bravery and collaboration seeded one of the most important scientific discoveries of our time.

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Book SynopsisWe owe a great debt to Jean Baptiste Marc Bourgery (1797–1849) for his Atlas of Anatomy, which was not only a massive event in medical history, but also remains one of the most comprehensive and beautifully illustrated anatomical treatises ever published. Bourgery began work on his magnificent atlas in 1830 in cooperation with illustrator Nicolas Henri Jacob (1782–1871), a student of the French painter Jacques Louis David. The first volumes were published the following year, but completion of the treatise required nearly two decades of dedication; Bourgery lived just long enough to finish his labor of love, but the last of the treatise’s eight volumes was not published in its entirety until five years after his death. The eight volumes of Bourgery’s treatise cover descriptive anatomy, surgical anatomy and techniques (exploring in detail nearly all the major operations that were performed during the first half of the 19th century), general anatomy and embryology, and microscopic anatomy. Jacob’s spectacular hand-colored lithographs are remarkable for their clarity, color, and aesthetic appeal, reflecting a combination of direct laboratory observation and illustrative research. Unsurpassed to this day, the images offer exceptional anatomical insight, not only for those in the medical field but also for artists, students, and anyone interested in the workings and wonder of the human body.Trade Review“A gorgeous compendium of anatomical drawings from the mid-19th century… one senses the awe the body once commanded when it was a new, uncharted world begging for exploration.” * i-D Magazine *

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Book Synopsis'Indecently entertaining.' A Daily Mail Book of the WeekAn Amazon US Best Book of 2022''A fascinating tale of poisons and poisonous deeds which both educates and entertains.'' Kathy ReichsAs any reader of murder mysteries can tell you, poison is one of the most enduring and popular weapons of choice for a scheming murderer. It can be slipped into a drink, smeared onto the tip of an arrow or the handle of a door, even filtered through the air we breathe. But how exactly do these poisons work to break our bodies down, and what can we learn from the damage they inflict?In a fascinating blend of popular science, medical history, and narrative crime nonfiction, Dr Neil Bradbury explores this most morbidly captivating method of murder from a cellular level. Alongside real-life accounts of murderers and their crimes some notorious, some forgotten, some still unsolved are the equally compelling stories of the poisons involved: eleven molecules of death that work their way through the humanTrade Review‘This very splendid book is essentially a detailed primer on how to dispose of your enemies. … A winning mixture of hard science and true crime stories, is almost indecently entertaining.’ Daily Mail ‘Lively … Bradbury is an engaging, cheerful tour guide.’ New York Times Book Review ‘Captivating in its storytelling and just enough science for the geeks. A tremendously entertaining dip into the dark and compelling world of death.’ Professor Dame Sue Black, author of All That Remains: A Life in Death ‘We’ve all seen Colonel Mustard dead in the library from poisoning. Instead of telling us why, in this original and invigorating book, Neil Bradbury focuses on how, exploring the workings of crime from a scientific basis. Fascinating.’ Judith Flanders, author of The Invention of Murder 'Neil Bradbury writes with wit, flair, and authority.' Lindsey Fitzharris, bestselling author of The Butchering Art ‘An engrossing history of poisons, poisonings and poisoners. Alongside the very human stories of the people who fall victim to these deadly substances, it’s packed with quirky detail and easily digestible (pun intended) science.’ Kate Morgan, author of Murder: The Biography 'Weaves jaw-dropping true stories and spellbinding histories behind the most infamous poisons.' Lydia Kang, bestselling author of Quackery: A Brief History of the Worst Ways to Cure Everything 'An unselfconsciously jaunty work of horror. Its stories may leave you eyeing your housemates and sniffing your coffee.' Judy Melinek, M.D. and T.J. Mitchell, bestselling authors of Working Stiff ‘An accessible and fascinating study.’ Publishers Weekly starred review ‘Appealing to any true crime fan … genre-bending.’ Booklist ‘A frightening romp … fascinating, edifying, and terrifying.’ Library Journal

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Book SynopsisSteve Parker is a writer and editor of more than 300 information books specializing in science, particularly biology and medicine, and allied life sciences. He has authored titles for a range of ages and publishers, including the award-winning Kill or Cure: An Illustrated History of Medicine for DK.

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Book SynopsisChronicles how our understanding of stroke has evolved over the centuries, drawing on primary sources to place the research in its historical context. Featuring the accounts of those present at key points in the history of stroke, this book covers both the successes and blind alleys of stroke research.Table of Contents1. The ventricles(apoplexy in the 16th century); 2. The force of blood (apoplexy in the 17th century); 3. Congestion (apoplexy in the 'long 18th century'); 4. Forgotten forms of apoplexy; 5.Haemorrhage; 6.Ramollissement; 7. Thrombosis and embolism; 8. No man's land: the neck arteries; 9. Lacunes; 10. Stroke warnings; 11. Saccular aneurysms; 12. Cerebral venous thrombosis.

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Book SynopsisMad, bad and sad. From the depression suffered by Virginia Woolf and Sylvia Plath to the mental anguish and addictions of iconic beauties Zelda Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe. From Freud and Jung and the radical breakthroughs of psychoanalysis to Lacan's construction of a modern movement and the new women-centred therapies. This is the story of how we have understood mental disorders and extreme states of mind in women over the last two hundred years and how we conceive of them today, when more and more of our inner life and emotions have become a matter for medics and therapists.Trade Review** 'Informative in startling ways, and never dull in the academic way, Appignanesi's genuinely new History of the Mind Doctors is a subtle and accessible account of that perhaps most daunting of modern relationships, the one between the Mind Doctor and his female patient. Because Appignanesi has a complex story to tell there is no blaming at work in this wonderful book, but a shrewd and sympathetic apprehension of what is at stake in the difficult histories of both the Mind Doctors and those they seek to help. It is a remarkable achievement Adam Phillips ** 'A tantalising mix of polemic and history, of ideology and fact ... A gripping read ... In a league far above any other book of its kind on this topic SUNDAY BUSINESS POST ** 'Endlessly fascinating THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY ** 'Subtle, textured and enthralling ... One of the great strengths of this book is the way in which it charts the uncanny relationship between fashions in psychiatric theory and sufferer s' symptoms SUNDAY TIMES

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Book SynopsisTrade ReviewDelightfully horrifying. * Popular Science *A delightful romp through a myriad of entertaining, arcane and obscure medical anecdotes. Fascinating and entertaining... a curious window into a vitalistic era of medical practice. -- Adrian Woolfson * Wall Street Journal *A witty account of bizarre medical tales from history. Read it, weep and be very grateful for modern medicine. * Daily Express *Blending fascinating history with cutting wit, surgical historian Thomas Morris mines the medical journals and explores some of the strangest cases that have perplexed doctors across the world. * Big Issue *A Ripley-esque collection of 'compellingly disgusting, hilarious, or downright bizarre' medical oddities... accompanied by the author's witty and often humorous, colloquial commentary. * Kirkus Reviews *

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Book SynopsisInsanity, identity and empire examines the formation of colonial social identities inside the institutions for the insane in Australia and New Zealand. Taking a large sample of patient records, it pays particular attention to gender, ethnicity and class as categories of analysis, reminding us of the varied journeys of immigrants to the colonies and of how and where they stopped, for different reasons, inside the social institutions of the period. It is about their stories of mobility, how these were told and produced inside institutions for the insane, and how, in the telling, colonial identities were asserted and formed. Having engaged with the structural imperatives of empire and with the varied imperial meanings of gender, sexuality and medicine, historians have considered the movements of travellers, migrants, military bodies and medical personnel, and ‘transnational lives’. This book examines an empire-wide discourse of ‘madness’ as part of this inquiry.Trade Review'Cathy Coleborne has written a splendid book, one that is especially welcome for its comparative focus, and for its efforts to give us a sense of mental patients' lives in two colonial societies. This is a meticulously researched monograph that is crisply written and full of wonderful details, the whole forming a splendid addition to the burgeoning literature on the history of colonial psychiatry.'Andrew Scull, Distinguished Professor of Sociology and Science Studies, University of California, San Diego'Coleborne [has] added important dimensions to the history of insanity in Australia and New Zealand, but even more significant is the depth of insight these works offer historians of immigration. They deserve a wide readership.'Stephen Garton, University of Sydney, Australian Historical Studies47, no. 2‘Historians are yet to explore the discursive stretch of madness throughout the British Empire, writes Coleborne. This expansive monograph, bringing together scholarly fields to examine madness thematically at two settler sites of empire, is an important step towards this.’James Dunk, University of Sydney‘Insanity, Identity and Empire draws on and extends Coleborne’s previously published works about institutional confinement.’ Ann Westmore, University of Melbourne , Health and History 18/2‘The book adds to a growing body of historical literature on disability and madness and, in particular, research on migration, disability, and madness.’Natalie Spagnuolo, York University, Toronto, H-Disability (January 2018) -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction: Insanity, identity and empire1. Insanity in the ‘age of mobility’: Melbourne and Auckland, 1850s–80s2. Immigrants, mental health and social institutions: Melbourne and Auckland, 1850s–90s3. Passing through: narrating patient identities in the colonial hospitals for the insane, 1873–19104. White men and weak masculinity: men in the public asylums, 1860s–1900s5. Insanity and white femininity: women in the public asylums, 1860s–1900s6. The ‘Others’: inscribing difference in colonial institutional settingsConclusionBibliographyIndex

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Book SynopsisRead the devastating story of the Spanish flu - the twentieth century's greatest killer – and discover what it can teach us about the current Covid-19 pandemic.'Both a saga of tragedies and a detective story... Pale Rider is not just an excavation but a reimagining of the past' Guardian With a death toll of between 50 and 100 million people and a global reach, the Spanish flu of 1918–1920 was the greatest human disaster, not only of the twentieth century, but possibly in all of recorded history. And yet, in our popular conception it exists largely as a footnote to World War I. In Pale Rider, Laura Spinney recounts the story of an overlooked pandemic, tracing it from Alaska to Brazil, from Persia to Spain, and from South Africa to Odessa. She shows how the pandemic was shaped by the interaction of a virus and the humans it encountered; and how this devastating natural experiment put both the ingenuity and the vulnerability of humans to the test. Laura Spinney demonstrates that the Spanish flu was as significant – if not more so – as two world wars in shaping the modern world; in disrupting, and often permanently altering, global politics, race relations, family structures, and thinking across medicine, religion and the arts.‘Weaves together global history and medical science to great effect ... Riveting.’ Sunday TimesTrade ReviewWith superb investigative skill and a delightfully light-hearted writing style, Spinney extends her analysis far beyond the relatively short duration of the plague... I’ve seldom had so much fun reading about people dying. * The Times *Weaves together global history and medical science to great effect ... Riveting. * Sunday Times *Both a saga of tragedies and a detective story... Pale Rider is not just an excavation but a reimagining of the past. * Guardian *Vividly recreated, grimly fascinating… Coolly, crisply and with a consistently sharp eye for the telling anecdote, Spinney ... demonstrates how the Spanish flu cast a long shadow over the 20th century. * Daily Mail *Magisterial. * Observer *

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Book SynopsisAre you really the doctor?As a black doctor working on the frontline of the NHS, Matt Hutchinson hears these words all too often. In this book, he offers a compelling glimpse into the unvarnished reality of working in healthcare as an ethnic minority. Tracing his journey from medical school through to working at some of the country's most chaotic hospitals, Matt uncovers how the true backbone of the NHS is the diverse community of immigrant healthcare workers who work tirelessly to keep the show on the road. From workplace drama to fighting life-threatening diseases, join Matt Hutchinson in the trenches of our healthcare system as he offers a candid and often hilarious insight into the messy life of a Black British doctor.

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Book SynopsisA brilliant cultural history Scull's book fills a gap in the literature and deserves to be widely read outstanding' The TimesTrade Review'Perhaps the most comprehensive account of the history of psychiatry that has yet appeared in a single volume' - The Times Literary Supplement'A milestone text … No other monograph has accomplished such scope, perception and balance in covering madness’s haunting, shifting presence in civilization’s psyche ' - BBC History Magazine'Powerful and disturbing … a panoramic survey' - The Sunday Times'Learned, liberally humanitarian and wryly witty' - The SpectatorTable of ContentsEndorsements • 1. Confronting Madness • 2. Madness in the Ancient World • 3. The Darkness and the Dawn • 4. Melancholie and Madnesse • 5. Madhouses and MadDoctors • 6. Nerves and Nervousness • 7. The Great Confinement • 8. Degeneration and Despair • 9. The Demi-Fous • 10. Desperate Remedies • 11. A Meaningful Interlude • 12. A Psychiatric Revolution?

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Book SynopsisA Guardian Book of the YearA Prospect Book of the YearA Financial Times Most Anticipated Book'A charming, fascinating foray into corners of history ... the perfect book for our golden age of indigestion' Washington Post'A brilliant new cultural history of the gut' Daily MailHave you ever had a gut feeling? Found something hard to stomach? Have you gone belly up under pressure? Did you pull yourself together and show some guts? The growls and gurgles of our digestive system are a constant reminder of the physical work it does to keep our bodies running. But throughout history, humans have puzzled over how this rowdy organ might influence us in other ways, from our emotional states and mental well-being to the decisions we make and even our sense of self. Through Ancient Greece and Victorian England, eighteenth-century France and contemporary America, cultural historian Elsa Richardson leads us on a lively tour of all the ways we've tried to make sense of this endlessly fascinating (a

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Book SynopsisA sympathetic and enlightening exploration of physical, emotional and spiritual pain and what we can learn from it, written by experienced psychologist and author of Bridges Between Life and Death, Iris Paxino.

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Book Synopsis‘Powerful and affecting’ Mail on Sunday‘Flesh and Blood is living drama extracted like buried treasure from old documents and the hand-me-down stories of his relatives. I couldn't put it down’Jenny Agutter 'Intelligently structured and eloquently written, McGann’s book is a powerful homage to his family and Irish ancestry, to modern medicine and the welfare state.  Packed with lively anecdotes and insights on social history, Flesh and Blood is a humble human story with a majestic theme' Times Literary Supplement.  'Drama and reality repeatedly intersect in unexpected ways in this powerful and revealing memoir' Mail on Sunday  'Eloquent in its metaphors, this book is about memory, how it shapes us, and what we choose to pass on' Irish Times  'With its mix of readable sciTrade Review‘Drama and reality repeatedly intersect in unexpected ways in this powerful and revealing memoir’ -- Mail on Sunday‘With its mix of readable science and passionate sensibility, Flesh and Blood is essentially an attempt to heal the old rift between science and art’ -- Radio Times‘It is an artful, honest book, marked by the author’s clear-eyed examination of how his family’s lives were entwined with history’s often terrible markers’ -- New Statesman‘Each event becomes real, in one breath fascinating with medical detail, in the next an emotional contraction. Elegant in its metaphors, this book is about memory, how it shapes us, and what we choose to pass on. If all that remains of us is the story we tell, then McGann’s narrative is an insightful, beautiful legacy’ -- The Irish Times‘Flesh and Blood is living drama extracted like buried treasure from old documents and the hand-me-down stories of his relatives. I couldn't put it down’ -- Jenny Agutter

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Book SynopsisMankind''s battle to stay alive is the greatest of all subjects. This brief, witty and unusual book by Britain''s greatest medical historian compresses into a tiny span a lifetime spent thinking about millennia of human ingenuity in the quest to cheat death. Each chapter sums up one of these battlefields (surgery, doctors, disease, hospitals, laboratories and the human body) in a way that is both frightening and elating. Startlingly illustrated, A SHORT HISTORY OF MEDICINE is the ideal presentfor anyone who is keenly aware of their own mortality and wants to do something about it. It is also a wonderful memorial to one of Penguin''s greatest historians.Trade Review'Nobody will be able to put down this short history of medicine... without counting their blessings. Never have I read a book which made me so glad not to have been born before the mid-20th century.' Daily MailTable of ContentsDisease; doctors; the body; the laboratory; therapies; surgery; the hospital; medicine in modern society.

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Book Synopsis'A hugely informative and quietly furious call to arms.' IRISH TIMES'A ground-breaking new book.' EVENING STANDARD'A must read.' DAILY EXPRESS'She is balanced in her evidence analysis, forensic in her research.' TELEGRAPH'A vital subject that needs to be discussed -KATY HESSEL, AUTHOR OF THE STORY OF ART WITHOUT MEN'A valuable sociological perspective on women's bodies and health and an even more valuable (and optimistic) view of a better future for all.' GINA RIPPONThe idea that medicine is gender-neutral is a myth. This isn't inflammatory rhetoric; it's simply true. From the way pain is felt, to how heart attacks are diagnosed, to the very role society plays in the health of the body, the medical landscape in place today is one that was designed for, and by, men. This book is about all the ways medicine is not gender-neutral, from research to treatment to diagnosis. Throughout history, flawed mindsets have paved the way for sub-par treatment, and the prevailing attitudes that still exist today have had terrible repercussions for women and their bodies. Blending fascinating examples with historical and cultural context, and reflecting on her own personal experience with healthcare, Dr Marieke Bigg explores how women's bodies have been ignored, misunderstood and misdiagnosed, whilst keeping an eye to a better future. This is a sharp and honest must-read, and an empowering tool for anyone committed to making this world safer to navigate for all.Trade ReviewAsking all the right questions about the treatment of women's bodies and more importantly, answering them. Punchy, fascinating and vital. -- Rachel ParrisA different outlook on what is getting to be a familiar refrain. Medicine is sexist! This book offers another window into the world where women's health concerns are dismissed as 'only to be expected'. Where, when dealing with women, medicine waits until a problem arises rather than find ways of preventing it. Where female problems are second class and to be endured, as opposed to men's problems, which are a matter of primary concern, and must be cured. A valuable sociological perspective on women's bodies and health and an even more valuable (and optimistic) view of a better future for all, if medical research just paid attention to women's bodies -- Gina RipponA vital subject that needs to be discussed -- Katy HesselA brilliant book...There is so much to unlearn, there is so much that also follows in terms of how medicine could support - rather than fail - half the world's population. * Helen Pankhurst *''[Marieke] is balanced in her evidence analysis, forensic in her research.' * Telegraph *'A hugely informative and quietly furious call to arms... with the skill and methodological precision of a surgeon.' * Irish Times *'Dr Marieke Bigg's searing exposé of gender bias in medicine is equal parts frustrating and comforting...a must read.' * Daily Express *'A ground-breaking new book.' * EVENING STANDARD *'She skewers the medical and scientific experts for failing to listen to women about their problems and develop treatments.' * Financial Times *

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Book SynopsisAgainst the backdrop of unprecedented concern for the future of health care, this Very Short Introduction surveys the history of medicine from classical times to the present. Focussing on the key turning points in the history of Western medicine, such as the advent of hospitals and the rise of experimental medicine, Bill Bynum offers insights into medicine''s past, while at the same time engaging with contemporary issues, discoveries, and controversies.ABOUT THE SERIES: The Very Short Introductions series from Oxford University Press contains hundreds of titles in almost every subject area. These pocket-sized books are the perfect way to get ahead in a new subject quickly. Our expert authors combine facts, analysis, perspective, new ideas, and enthusiasm to make interesting and challenging topics highly readable.Table of ContentsPreface ; 1. Bedside Medicine ; 2. Library Medicine ; 3. Hospital Medicine ; 4. Social Medicine ; 5. Laboratory Medicine ; 6. Technological Medicine ; References and Further Reading

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Book SynopsisEver since the 1918 Spanish influenza pandemic, scientists have dreamed of preventing catastrophic outbreaks of infectious disease. Yet, despite a century of medical progress, viral and bacterial disasters continue to take us by surprise, inciting panic and dominating news cycles. From pneumonic plague in LA and ‘parrot fever’ in Argentina to the more recent AIDS, SARS and Ebola epidemics, the last 100 years have been marked by a succession of unanticipated outbreaks and scares. Like man-eating sharks, predatory pathogens are always present in nature, waiting to strike; when one is seemingly vanquished, others appear in its place. The Pandemic Century exposes the limits of science against nature, and how these crises are shaped by humans as much as microbes.Trade Review‘Some of the scenes in Mark Honigsbaum’s The Pandemic Century were so vivid they had me drafting movie treatments in my head . . . each chapter is deeply researched.'Chosen as a 'Sizzling Summer Read' 2019 -- Mail on Sunday'A gruesome round-up of the pandemics that have plagued us over the past 100 years . . . A lively but less than reassuring read for those on exotic travels.' * Financial Times *'[A] riveting, vivid history of modern disease outbreaks . . . Honigsbaum has written a fascinating account of a deeply important topic – for if the past 100 years have taught us anything, it is that new diseases and viral strains will inevitably beset us.' * The Observer *'Timely but disturbing.''Lively, gruesome, and masterful . . . Honigsbaum mixes superb medical history with vivid portraits of the worldwide reactions to each [pandemic] event.''Gripping.''Engrossing. . . . Combining history, popular science, and policy, he describes each pandemic with journalistic immediacy, emphasising the patterns that characterise responses to them. . . an important and timely work.''Offers a mixture of gripping storytelling and insightful science. . . . Alternately chilling and optimistic, Honigsbaum's reporting on a recurrent public health issue deserves wide attention.''Infectious diseases remain among the most urgent health threats we face, but too often are considered something that happens to other people, far away. In our interconnected world, this is no longer true, as Honigsbaum shows. His unique account drives home the human impact of epidemics, and the need for increased preparedness.' -- Jeremy Farrar, Director of the Wellcome Trust'Mark Honigsbaum does a superb job covering a century's worth of pandemics and the fears they invariably unleash. The moral of his cogent tale is that the next deadly pandemic is not a matter of "if" but of "when" and preparing for that fact is a far better prescription than reacting with panic, fear, or indifference.''Gripping.' * Nature *‘Ultimately, this book celebrates medical curiosity. [It is] a cautionary tale about the need for medical science to be open minded. Practitioners need to be aware that their knowledge of what is possible and impossible when it comes to infectious diseases will be challenged by the forces of globalisation, urbanisation and climate change.' -- International Affairs

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Book Synopsis‘Jauhar weaves his own personal and family story into his history of the heart…very effectively… This gives a certain dramatic tension to the book, as it tells the fascinating and rather wonderful history of cardiology.’ –Henry Marsh, New Statesman A Mail on Sunday Book of the Year The heart lies at the centre of life. For cardiologist Sandeep Jauhar it is an obsession. In this fascinating history he interweaves gripping scenes from the operating theatre with the moving tale of his family’s history of heart problems – from the death of his grandfather to the ominous signs of how he himself might die. Jauhar looks at the pioneers who risked patients’ lives and their own careers, and confronts the limits of medical technology, arguing that how we live is more important than any device or drug we may invent. Heart is the all-encompassing story of the engine of life.Trade Review‘A book of unusual depth and richness about a subject that concerns us all…Heart: A history is elegantly conceived and still more elegantly executed…Sandeep Jauhar writes with a vital, pulsating energy.’ * TLS *‘Jauhar weaves his own personal and family story into his history of the heart…very effectively… This gives a certain dramatic tension to the book, as it tells the fascinating and rather wonderful history of cardiology.’ * Henry Marsh, New Statesman *‘[An] absorbing book about the vital organ that keeps us alive.’ * Mail on Sunday, Books of the Year 2018 *‘This is a vital book. A charming, honest and unflinching exploration of a most fascinating organ: the heart. Cardiologist and author Sandeep Jauhar beautifully weaves medical research with philosophy, science with personal stories – of patients and doctors, including his very own. The depth of his knowledge is remarkable but the breadth of his compassion even more so.’ -- Elif Shafak, Chair, 2019 Wellcome Book Prize‘A moving narrative echoing to the beat of “this organ, prime mover and citadel”.’ * Nature *‘Gripping… Jauhar hooks the reader of Heart from the first few pages… Most chapters launch with a riveting scene… Fun facts are sprinkled throughout… Heart is chock-full of absorbing tales that infuse fresh air into a topic that is often relegated to textbooks or metaphors about pumps, plumbing, or love.’ * New York Times Book Review *‘Dr. Jauhar expertly weaves little-known tales from medical history into his own personal and professional experiences to create a richly detailed book about the human heart. Thoroughly engrossing and full of historical gems.’ -- Lindsey Fitzharris, author of The Butchering Art‘Jauhar…is our trusty guide through a compelling story about what makes each and every one of us tick… Both primer and ode, Heart is a fascinating education for those of us who harbour this most hallowed organ but know little about it.’ * Washington Post *‘Sandeep Jauhar writes with the eye of a doctor and the heart of a poet. His latest book, Heart: A History, is a superb tribute to our most vital organ.’ -- Marilyn Yalom, Stanford University, author of The Amorous Heart: An Unconventional History of Love‘Part-memoir, part-history of his medical specialty, Heart links the physical organ with the emotional one.’ * Spectator *‘The cardiologist Sandeep Jauhar has become a Dante of modern medicine… Heart: A History is something of a “Paradiso,” pointing to the field’s brightest and noblest stars while recognizing just how much darkness is still left in the firmament… Poignant and chattily erudite.’ * Wall Street Journal *‘Cardiologist Jauhar moves beautifully between “dual tracks” of “learning about the heart…but also what was in my heart,”… Covering enough physiology to make scientific details easily understood, Jauhar emphasizes how brave, desperate, and sometimes foolhardy experiments led to important developments, such as the heart-lung machine… Jauhar is thoughtful, self-reflective, and profoundly respectful of doctors and patients alike; readers will respond by opening their own hearts a little bit, to both grief and wonder.’ * Publisher’s Weekly, starred review *‘In Heart: A History, Sandeep Jauhar, one of the most talented physician-writers of our era, takes us on an enlightening, uplifting journey through the major milestones and advances of heart disease – while at the same time anchoring his intimate, personal experiences.’ -- Eric Topol, Scripps Research Institute, author of The Patient Will See You Now

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Book SynopsisThis visually extraordinary book presents the history of medicine as it has never been seen before... perfect for readers aged 9+.From potions and ointments to modern day bionics, the journey through medicine has been one full of experiments, trials and breakthroughs. Humankind's battle to stay alive has been horrifying, bizarre and exhilarating, and there is still a long way to go. Uniquely presented through a series of posters, comic-strip retellings, timelines, newspaper articles and much more, this strikingly illustrated book charts the history of medicine in engaging and unusual ways - guaranteed to keep children gripped. With expert text written by pharmacy historian, Briony Hudson and stunning graphic artwork by Nick Taylor.Trade ReviewFrom potions and ointments to space age bionics, plagues to prosthetics, and from ancient mummies to modern MRI scans, this visually extraordinary book presents the history of medicine as it has never been seen before.With an expert text written by museum curator, pharmacy historian and lecturer, Briony Hudson, and the stunning graphic artwork of Nottingham-based Nick Taylor, Medicine: A Magnificently Illustrated History takes youngsters on a fascinating journey of discovery.The history of medicine is the history of everybody - and every body - both past and present, and the evolution of medicine has been one full of experiments, trials and breakthroughs. Humankind's battle to stay alive has also been horrifying, bizarre and exhilarating, and there is still a long way to go.Find out how ancient texts and artefacts help us understand medicine today as we join a mind-boggling and eye-opening exploration of fascinating beliefs, intriguing remedies and scientific discoveries as well as learning about some of medical history's strange accidents and quirky experiments.So who was Hippocrates, how did rural doctor Edward Jenner from Gloucestershire make the breakthrough in mass vaccination, and how was the life-saving antibiotic penicillin invented by scientist Dr Alexander Fleming at a London hospital?Uniquely presented through a series of posters, comic-strip retelling, timelines, newspaper articles and much more, Hudson's accessible and engaging facts and Taylor's extraordinarily offbeat and vintage-style illustrations are guaranteed to keep children gripped from first page to last. -- Pam Norfolk * Lancaster Guardian *

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Book SynopsisThe fascinating and dramatic story of a forgotten, life-saving cure to conquer deadly bacterial infections - bacteriophages - and the remarkable scientists behind themWhen antibiotics started to fail the race to save humanity from deadly antibiotic resistant infections began. Science journalist Lina Zeldovich reveals the remarkable history of bacteriophages or 'phages', through the colourful lives of the British, French, Soviet and American scientists who discovered, developed and are now reviving this unique living medicine for seemingly incurable diseases.Starting with the original discovery of bacteriophages, or 'phages', in 1917, Zeldovich reveals how they were all but forgotten as antibiotics rose to medical stardom in the West and Stalin purged leading scientists behind them in the former Soviet Union. It was only when patients started dying from antibiotic resistant infections that those scientists who fled the former Soviet Union realis

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Book SynopsisThe book contributes to wider understanding of the RAMC and medical services in the First World War

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Book SynopsisFrom leeches to lice, bowels to bedpans, nurses relate their experiences of hospital wards in the 20th century.

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Book SynopsisRegarded today as the father of modern medicine, Paracelsus (1493-1541) was in fact much more besides. Natural scientist, philosopher, alchemist, with a deep distrust of orthodoxy and rational thought, he intermixed Christian theology with the Qabalah, believing that magic reveals the invisible influences behind things, bringing heavenly forces down to earth.

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Book SynopsisOne doctor’s surprising answer to the epidemic of chronic disease and essential reading for everyone concerned with the health of the next generation ..[T]he further we move away from nature the sicker we become, and it is our children who pay the heaviest price for what modern civilization is doing to our environment and our bodies. This book will make the reader think. I warmly recommend it! Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, MD, author of Gut and Psychology Syndrome Over the past fifty years, rates of autoimmunity and chronic disease have exploded. While some attribute this rise to increased awareness and diagnosis, Thomas Cowan, MD, argues for a direct causal relationship to a corresponding increase in the number of vaccines children typically receive. Dr. Cowan looks at emerging evidence that certain childhood illnesses are actually protective of disease later in life; examines the role of fever, the gut and cellular fluid in immune health; argues that vaccination is an ineffective (and harmful) attempt to shortcut a complex immune response; and asserts that the medical establishment has engaged in an authoritarian argument that robs parents of informed consent. His ultimate question, from the point of view of a doctor who has decades of experience treating countless children is: What are we really doing to children when we vaccinate them? Dr. Cowan intelligently educates us on the complicated and beautiful workings of our immune system, clearly explains how and why its malfunction is harming us, and elucidates why our precious children are so vulnerable to these diseases. Lindy Woodard, MD, Pediatric AlternativesTrade Review“Dr. Tom Cowan has created an entertaining, compelling, and readily accessible book explaining the risks involved in today’s overaggressive vaccination campaign. I particularly appreciate his emphasis on the risks to autoimmune disease inherent in antibody induction through vaccines. This book is a great addition to the growing body of literature revealing why vaccination is not the best strategy for protection against infectious diseases.”—Stephanie Seneff, senior research scientist, MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory“I would like to thank Dr. Tom Cowan for writing this book! Humanity seems to have forgotten that human body is part of nature; the further we move away from nature the sicker we become, and it is our children who pay the heaviest price for what modern civilization is doing to our environment and our bodies. This book will make the reader think. I warmly recommend it!”—Dr. Natasha Campbell-McBride, MD, author of Gut and Psychology Syndrome“Dr. Cowan does a great job explaining in clear and common-sense terms that the practice and the rationale of vaccination is deeply flawed, and, astoundingly, is not evidence-based but rather fear-based. The vaccine paradigm is upheld by the consensus, but the consensus in not based on a free and unbiased reading of all the evidence, rather only on a small part of it, while much is ignored. Dr. Cowan contributes greatly to a much-needed correction of this misleading and misled consensus.”—Philip Incao, MD, advisor, Physicians for Informed Consent“Tom Cowan’s Vaccines, Autoimmunity, and the Changing Nature of Childhood Illness is both brilliant and beautifully simple. He shares facts not taught in medical school, that reflect ancient wisdom, common sense, and trust in the intelligence of life itself. Understanding the role of childhood illnesses such as chickenpox and measles is critical to our survival as a species. Tom does an outstanding job of connecting the dots and giving reason to what is often misunderstood!”—Cilla Whatcott, producer of the film Real Immunity; author of There is a Choice“As a pediatrician for thirty-five years, I have seen the enormous rise in autoimmune diseases like asthma, allergies, eczema, and autism. We no longer need to scratch our heads wondering why, because the reasons are clear. In Vaccines, Autoimmunity, and the Changing Nature of Childhood Illness, Dr. Cowan intelligently educates us on the complicated and beautiful workings of our immune system, clearly explains how and why its malfunction is harming us, and elucidates why our precious children are so vulnerable to these diseases. Most importantly, perhaps, Dr. Cowan charts the clear, concise path to healing, offering a better, healthier life for us, our children, and the planet.”—Lindy Woodard, MD, Pediatric Alternatives“We westerners must wake up to the fact that vaccination is driving our modern epidemics of autism, dementia, autoimmunity, and allergies. In Vaccines, Autoimmunity, and the Changing Nature of Childhood Illness, Dr. Thomas Cowan whistle-blows on Big Pharma and the medical profession. Quite rightly, too. Human misery aside, these diseases are debilitatingly expensive. Autism usually results in care for life. “The arguments Dr. Cowan makes are not only biologically plausible, but are based in good science. He states what, for many, is the obvious: we must learn to live within the laws of nature, not fight against them as if they were some evil force. Evolution has the answers! We have lived with microorganisms for millions of years, and many confer significant survival benefits. Cowan details this with devastating logic. Childhood infections such as chickenpox and measles are desirable; they program the immune system in such a way as to protect us from disease later in life. “This book gives parents the intellectual ammunition they need to fight back against the pro-vaccine medical establishment. They clearly need such. I have seen parents driven by fear into vaccinating their children entirely against their parental instincts. By not vaccinating, Cowan shows us how children can be protected from allergy, autoimmunity, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, asthma, and autism. This book is essential reading for all concerned with the health of the next generation.”—Dr. Sarah Myhill, author of Sustainable Medicine and Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Myalgic Encephalitis“Thomas Cowan, MD, is a gifted physician and scientist. He is also a man of integrity who sticks his neck out for the truth. In addition he has the talent for making complex and urgent topics easy to read and understand for the intelligent layperson. He has accomplished this with his book, Human Heart, Cosmic Heart, the best book out there on holistically healing cardiovascular diseases. Now he has done it again with Vaccines, Autoimmunity, and the Changing Nature of Childhood Illness. “Vaccination has been a controversial topic for decades with informed parents around the world having to struggle with regulatory authorities and doctors over the necessity and effectiveness of vaccination to prevent childhood diseases. Now Dr. Cowan comes out with a powerful book giving a clear scientific voice to the intuition of many parents regarding the dangers of vaccination. Tamper with our immune system through one-sided interventions, and pay a tragic price. “This book is a global wake-up call to defend, against those who would destroy it, the awesome wisdom of the human body to wage its own battle against the myriad diseases that seek to overcome our internal defense system. This book will have a profound, beneficial impact on human health around the world in the years and decades to come. It is a courageous and pioneering work worthy of admiration and support.”—Nicanor Perlas, recipient, Right Livelihood Award

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Book SynopsisTHE INSPIRATION BEHIND THE BBC DRAMA THE CRIMSON FIELD''On the face of it,'' writes Lyn Macdonald, ''no one could have been less equipped for the job than these gently nurtured girls who walked straight out of Edwardian drawing rooms into the manifest horrors of the First World War ...'' Yet the volunteer nurses rose magnificently to the occasion. In leaking tents and draughty huts they fought another war, a war against agony and death, as men lay suffering from the pain of unimaginable wounds or diseases we can now cure almost instantly. It was here that young doctors frantically forged new medical techniques - of blood transfusion, dentistry, psychiatry and plastic surgery - in the attempt to save soldiers shattered in body or spirit. And it was here that women achieved a quiet but permanent revolution, by proving beyond question they could do anything. All this is superbly captured in The Roses of No Man''s Land, a panorama of hardship, disillTrade ReviewThe tale is allowed to tell itself without any frontal assault on the emotions, and is all the more stirring thereby * Observer *

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Book SynopsisThe first comprehensive history of efforts to vaccinate children from contagious disease in US schools. As protests over vaccine mandates increase in the twenty-first century, many people have raised concerns about a growing opposition to school vaccination requirements. What triggered anti-vaccine activism in the past, and why does it continue today? Americans have struggled with questions like this since the passage of the first school vaccination laws in 1827. In Vaccine Wars, Kim Tolley lays out the first comprehensive history of the nearly two-hundred-year struggle to protect schoolchildren from infectious diseases. Drawing from extensive archival sourcesincluding state and federal reports, court records, congressional hearings, oral interviews, correspondence, journals, school textbooks, and newspapersTolley analyzes resistance to vaccines in the context of evolving views about immunization among doctors, families, anti-vaccination groups, and school authorities. The resulting Table of ContentsList of Tables, Figures, and ChartsAcknowledgmentsIntroductionPart I. The Long Fight against Smallpox: From Support to Complacency and Opposition1. The Rise of School Vaccination Laws 2. The National Anti-vaccination Societies and the Schools 3. Taking Schools to Court: The Legal Battles 4. Schools against Vaccination Mandates: A Case StudyPart II. A Sea Change: From Persuasion to Compulsion in the Quest for Herd Immunity5. Schools and the Campaign against Polio6. Schools in the Age of Eradication7. Vaccine Hesitancy and the Rise of Personal Belief Exemptions8. The Twenty-First-Century Effort to Preserve Immunity in SchoolsConclusionAppendix. Selected Court Cases and Rulings Cited in the Text, 1830-2021NotesArchival and Digitized SourcesIndex

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Book Synopsis'Poignant and lyrical...Slater's experience makes her a convincing travel guide into the history, creation and future of psychotropics.' – The New York Times Book Review A groundbreaking and revelatory story of the psychotropic drugs that have shaped our minds and our reality.  As our approach to mental illness has oscillated from biological to psychoanalytical and back again, so have our treatments. With the rise of psychopharmacology, an ever-increasing number of people throughout the globe are taking a psychotropic drug, yet nearly seventy years after doctors first began prescribing them, we still don’t really know exactly how or why they work – or don’t work – on what ails our brains. In The Drugs that Changed Our Minds, Lauren Slater offers an explosive account not just of the science but of the people – inventors, detractors and consuTrade Review'A profound and essential look at a phenomenon of our times. Meticulously researched, The Drugs That Changed Our Minds is also a deeply moving personal investigation into the drugs so many of us rely upon for our survival. Slater is much more than a trusted guide: she’s a brave and eloquent companion who doesn’t shy away from controversy. You’ll be talking and thinking about The Drugs That Changed Our Minds long after you’ve read it.' -- Terri Cheney, author of the New York Times bestseller Manic'In this ambitious undertaking, psychologist Slater applies vigorous research and intimate reflection to the issues involved with treating mental suffering...highly compelling' * Kirkus *'Weaving together the history of psychopharmacology and her personal experience as a patient, Slater offers readers a candid and compelling glimpse at life on psychiatric drugs and the science behind them. Intriguing and instructive.' * Booklist *'Psychologist Slater runs through the checkered history of psychopharmacology and mental illness treatments while sharing her own battle with depression and medication in this ambitious work . . . Slater offers many insights here, and her moving personal story truly illuminates the triumphs and shortcomings of psychotropic drugs.' * Publishers Weekly *'Slater, a writer and psychologist, takes a skeptical yet compassionate approach to the history of Psychopharmacology…the result is a vivid and thought-provoking synthesis' -- Lidija Haas * Harper’s Magazine *'the messy history and brave future of psychotropic drugs...Slater sifts through the remedies one in five Americans relies on but knows little about – even breaking into an abandoned asylum in her quest' * O Magazine *'A capacious and rigorous history...The real strength of this book comes from Slater’s very particular position. She is patient and psychologist, part of the first wave of people who were prescribed Prozac in the 1980s.' * New York Times *

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Book Synopsis''This is history with a surgeon''s touch: deft, incisive and sometimes excruciatingly bloody'' The Sunday Times''Utterly eccentric and riveting'' Mail on Sunday ''Eye-opening and, frequently, eye-watering . . . a book that invites readers to peer up the bottoms of kings, into the souls of rock stars and down the ear canals of astronauts'' The Daily TelegraphHow did a decision made in the operating theatre spark hundreds of conspiracy theories about JFK? How did a backstage joke prove fatal to world-famous escape artist Harry Houdini? How did Queen Victoria change the course of surgical history?Through dark centuries of bloodletting and of amputations without anaesthetic to today''s sterile, high-tech operating theatres, surgeon Arnold van de Laar uses his experience and expertise to tell an incisive history of the past, present and future of surgery.From the dark centuries of bloodletting and of aTrade ReviewThis is history with a surgeon's touch: deft, incisive and sometimes excruciatingly bloody . . . A fascinating combination of art, medical science and - still - daring butchery * The Sunday Times *Utterly eccentric and riveting * Mail on Sunday *Irresistible . . . Van de Laar renders complex surgical procedures not only understandable, but also immensely entertaining . . . A lot of fun * The Times *[A] fascinating history of surgery . . . eye-opening and, frequently, eye-watering . . . a book that invites readers to peer up the bottoms of kings, into the souls of rock stars and down the ear canals of astronauts -- Helen Brown * The Daily Telegraph, 5* review *Fascinating . . . a brisk but revealing tour of the human body. Each story shines a light on the wonders and weaknesses of our biology, and on the science we have used to treat it * Irish Independent *Fascinating . . . The author's sense of humour is as sharp as his scapel * Spectator *In this witty chronicle, surgeon Arnold van de Laar dissects thousands of years' worth of remarkably gruesome stories. From anaesthetic-free amputations and bloodletting to Albert Einstein's aneurysm, these are key insights into the cut and thrust of medicine * Nature *

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Book SynopsisWomen’s medicine highlights British female doctors’ key contribution to the production and circulation of scientific knowledge around contraception, family planning and sexual disorders between 1920–70. It argues that women doctors were pivotal in developing a holistic approach to family planning and transmitting this knowledge across borders, playing a more prominent role in shaping scientific and medical knowledge than previously acknowledged. The book locates women doctors’ involvement within the changing landscape of national and international reproductive politics. Illuminating women doctors’ agency in the male-dominated field of medicine, this book reveals their practical engagement with birth control and later family planning clinics in Britain, their participation in the development of the international movement of birth control and family planning and their influence on French doctors. Drawing on a wide range of archived and published medical materials, Rusterholz sheds light on the strategies British female doctors used and the alliances they made to put forward their medical agenda and position themselves as experts and leaders in birth control and family planning research and practice.This book is relevant to United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 5, Gender equality.Trade Review'This book ... fills important gaps in women’s history and the history of medicine and health and is an outstanding contribution to the history of contraception. The rich source base and meticulous documentation underpinning Rusterholz’s bold arguments make it a solid historiography, well organized and thus easy to follow. I therefore highly recommend Women’s Medicine.'Agata Ignaciuk, University of Granada, Journal of British Studies -- .Table of ContentsIntroduction1 Giving birth control medical credentials in Britain, 1920–702 Sexual disorders and infertility, expanding the work of the clinics3 Medicalizing birth control at the international conferences (1920–37), a British–French comparison 4 Building a transnational movement for family planning 1927–705 Testing IUDs, a transnational journey of expertiseConclusionReferencesIndex

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Book Synopsis*As heard on BBC Radio 4 Woman's Hour* *A Blackwell's and Waterstones Best Popular Science Book of 2022* 'Excellent ... one of those rare pop-science books that make you look at the whole world differently' The Daily Telegraph ***** 'Riveting' Mail on Sunday ***** 'Captivating' Guardian, Book of the Day 'Compelling' Observer Sarah Chaney takes us on an eye-opening and surprising journey into the history of science, revisiting the studies, landmark experiments and tests that proliferated from the early 19th century to find answers to the question: what's normal? These include a census of hallucinations - and even a UK beauty map (which claimed the women in Aberdeen were "the most repellent"). On the way she exposes many of the hangovers that are still with us from these dubious endeavours, from IQ tests to the BMI. Interrogating how the notion and science of standardisation has shaped us all, as individuals and as a society, this book challenges why we ever thought that normal might be a desirable thing to be.Trade ReviewSarah Chaney charts, fascinatingly, [a] progressive creep of the idea of the "normal" into the heart of society... shocking and salutary * The Times *Compelling, highly readable ... Encompassing everything from sex surveys to baby weight, beauty standards to sexuality, this is a brilliantly engaging work of popular science * Observer *Captivating -- Book of the Day * Guardian *Eureka! Sarah Chaney's excellent Am I Normal? is one of those rare pop-science books that make you look at the whole world differently -- Tim Smith-Laing * The Daily Telegraph, ***** *Riveting ... The moral of the story, indeed of this engaging book, is that instead of ruminating endlessly on the worried (and unanswerable) question Am I Normal?, we should be asking ourselves instead whether normal even exists and why, quite frankly, anyone cares * Mail on Sunday, ***** *This fascinating read will change the way we think about what is normal * Buzz *Fascinating * Fortean Times, ***** *

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Book SynopsisA fierce, honest, elegant and often hilarious debunking of the great fallacies that drive modern medicine. By the award-winning author of The Way We Die Now. Seamus O'Mahony writes about the illusion of progress, the notion that more and more diseases can be 'conquered' ad infinitum. He punctures the idiocy of consumerism, the idea that healthcare can be endlessly adapted to the wishes of individuals. He excoriates the claims of Big Science, the spending of vast sums on research follies like the Human Genome Project. And he highlights one of the most dangerous errors of industrialized medicine: an over-reliance on metrics, and a neglect of things that can't easily be measured, like compassion. 'A deeply fascinating and rousing book' Mail on Sunday. 'What makes this book a delightful, if unsettling read, is not just O'Mahony's scholarly and witty prose, but also his brutal honesty' The Times.Trade ReviewA deeply fascinating and rousing book * Mail on Sunday *What makes this book a delightful, if unsettling read, is not just O'Mahony's scholarly and witty prose, but also his brutal honesty... [He] is a wise consultant towards the end of his career telling us what he wished he had known at the beginning' * The Times *An exceptionally strong polemic – one that might even persuade Miley Cyrus to start eating wheat again * Sunday Business Post *This systemic perversion of science and its method might the most obvious instance of the corruption O'Mahoney describes, but he casts his net much wider. He also considers, inter alia, the invention of pseudo-diseases, the connivance of the editors of medical journals in increasing the volume of papers, an uncritical deference to the simplifications of statistically-derived knowledge, and the dishonesty of failing to acknowledge the limits of what medicine can reasonably be expected to achieve * Literary Review *[A] humane, knowledgeable and scathing book [...] about the dislocation of medical priorities from the basics of human need * The Tablet *[A] grounded and readable work... Very amusing in parts and identifies real problems. Each chapter stands on its own, and the book can be taken up at will, without losing the thread' * Irish Independent *Prof Seamus O'Mahony is highly critical of the medical system, particularly when it comes to spending huge amounts of money on drugs that do little to prolong life * Irish Examiner *A good book challenges the reader, this book certainly challenged me but I feel better for engaging with this plausible and readable criticism of contemporary medicine * British Journal of General Practice *A very interesting book... [O'Mahony] does make some very interesting points about the limits to medicine and the ability of medicine to cure every ailment' * Northern Standard. *A book on health that everyone should read this year... A fascinating read for patients, medics and anyone who cares... If there is a cure for the travails of our health service, and I remain doubter-in-chief, it must begin with these odorous and painful truths, unearthed and so skilfully dissected out in very readable prose by Professor O'Mahony' * Sunday Independent (Dublin). *

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Book Synopsis‘I tried to contact my own GP last week. I counted 19 redials and 20 minutes on hold before I was able to speak to a receptionist… only to be told that all the appointments for the day had gone. My experience echoes a familiar tale told up and down the country, but just why is it that you can’t see your GP anymore? This book provides some answers to that question…’ UK general practice has reached crisis point. The impact of the Covid-19 pandemic has placed a strain on an already crumbling primary care service, leaving both patients and NHS staff struggling. Seventy-five years after the NHS was created, Dr Ellen Welch lifts the curtain on general practice. She looks back on the history of the profession exploring how the job has changed– particularly since the pandemic – then ahead to what the future of general practice might look like. Why Can’t I See My GP features personal accounts from practicing GPs, including Dr Aman Amir, whose surgery was subject to an arson attack; GP leaders Dr David Wrigley, Dr Lizzie Toberty and Dr Paul Evans, alongside commentator Roy Lilley, and bereaved husband Chris Milligan. Those on the frontline try to answer the question: how did we get here? Is it better overseas? And what can be done to make things better for us all in the future? If you’ve ever found yourself frustrated by the length of time it took to get a GP appointment, then this book is for you.Table of ContentsForeword Dr Amir Khan Acknowledgements Introduction Dr Ellen Welch Chapter 1 A brief history of NHS general practice Ellie Philpotts with Dr Ellen Welch – A brief history of NHS general practice Roy Lilley – Gone 16 Dr Eric Rose – The history of out-of-hours GP services Dr David Wrigley – NHS GPs aren’t private companies Chapter 2 How the role has changed Dr Christine Hunter with Dr Ellen Welch – Thirty years as a Cornish GP Dr Louise Hyde – The magic of general practice Dr Ayan Panja – Expert generalism – the power, the magic and the pitfalls Chapter 3 GPs and the pandemic Dr Neena Jha – Being a GP during the pandemic Dr Aman Amir – Rising levels of abuse towards GPs Chris Milligan – The personal toll of being a GP Dr Elizabeth Croton – GPs are not lazy, we’re working harder than ever Chapter 4 What does a GP do in today’s Britain? Dr Lizzie Toberty – On the pressures Dr Catriona McNicol – On home visits Dr Ellen Welch – On remote working Dr Paul Evans – On workload caps Dr Lizzie Toberty – On pay restoration Dr Zainab Batool – On the 10-minute consult Ron Templeton – What do the patients think? Chapter 5 Does it work better elsewhere? Dr Neil Barnard with Dr Ellen Welch – Anywhere is better than the NHS Dr Sarah Rushworth – From Merseyside to Nova Scotia Dr Robin Kåss – General practice in Norway Dr Lois Mugleston – General practice in New Zealand and the UK Dr Ellen Welch – The American system – fees at sea Chapter 6 The future of general practice Anonymous GP – Are allied healthcare professionals a solution to the GP crisis? Dr Ellen Welch – Are part-time GPs the problem? Over to you – Solutions to the GP crisis in a nutshell You and your GP Doctors’ Association UK (DAUK) List of contributors Glossary Help for GPs Further reading Endnotes About the author

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Book SynopsisOn the night of December 2, 1943, the Luftwaffe bombed a critical Allied port in Bari, Italy, sinking seventeen ships and killing over a thousand servicemen and hundreds of civilians. Caught in the surprise air raid was the John Harvey,an American Liberty ship carrying a top-secret cargo of 2,000 mustard bombs to be used in retaliation if the Germans resorted to gas warfare.After young sailors began suddenly dying with mysterious symptoms, Lieutenant Colonel Stewart Alexander, a doctor and chemical weapons expert, was dispatched to investigate. He quickly diagnosed mustard gas exposure, which Churchill denied. Undaunted, Alexander defied British officials and persevered with his investigation. His final report on the Bari casualties was immediately classified, but not before his breakthrough observations about the toxic effects of mustard on white blood cells caught the attention of Colonel Cornelius P. Rhoads - a pioneering physician and research scientist as brilliant as he was arrogant and self-destructive - who recognized that the poison was both a killer and a cure, and ushered in a new era of cancer research.Deeply researched and beautifully written, The Great Secret is the remarkable story of how horrific tragedy gave birth to medical triumph.Trade ReviewIn a history that reads like a novel, Conant connects the 1943 bombing by the Nazis of an American ship containing banned mustard gas to the development of chemotherapy as a cancer treatment. * Editors’ Choice, NEW YORK TIMES BOOK REVIEW *[A] compelling narrative. . . . fascinating. * Wall Street Journal *Engrossing. . . . Convey[s] a fast-paced medical detective story that demonstrates how careful scientific observation can yield unexpected benefits and serves as a reminder of the difficult choices made by governments to balance public health and secrecy in matters of security. * Science *Conant delights in the devilish details, the hidden, overlooked, and deeply personal stories that constitute our collective historical record. In her deft and experienced hands, readers will discover great delight as well. * Air Mail *With a keen understanding of medical science, cancer, and the history of World War II, as well as an amazing range of sources, Conant dramatically illuminates a dark moment in history that eventually led to the medical breakthrough of chemotherapy. * National Book Review (US) *[A] fast-paced history-cum-detective story * Bloomberg News *the gripping story of a chemical weapons catastrophe, its cover-up, and how one army doctor's discovery led to the development of chemotherapy * Daily Times *the book succeeds as a history of chemotherapy's origins * Nature *Jennet Conant unravels the remarkable story of a World War Two chemical weapons disaster which inspired one of the twentieth century's greatest breakthroughs in medicine with verve and precision. The Great Secret reads like a wartime adventure and political thriller combined. -- Wendy Moore, author of ENDELL STREETWith a scintillating detective-tale plot rendered with an accomplished novelist's flair, Jennet Conant peels back the layers of deception employed by Allied authorities-including Winston Churchill-to conceal the fact that many of those who died at the Bari disaster in December 1943 perished from unprecedented exposure to mustard gas and immersion in ship fuel oil. This fast-paced narrative alone would make The Great Secret a landmark work, but Conant surpasses this with the even more astonishing chronicle of how insights into the Bari deaths ultimately galvanized the creation of the whole field of cancer chemotherapy. This is a heartbreaking and inspiring tale of tragedy leading to triumph. -- Richard B. Frank, author of TOWER OF SKULLS: A History of the Asia-Pacific War, July 1937–May 1942A ripping good yarn, jam-packed with marvelous prose, wonderful historical characters, and superb research on a little known but critical chapter in the history of medicine and the Second World War. I could not put this book down until I reached the final page. -- Howard Markel, MD, PhD, George E. Wantz Distinguished Professor of the History of MedicineAuthor and journalist Jennet Conant has uncovered a humdinger of a tale, one that is equal parts war story, conspiracy thriller and medical mystery. More than anything, The Great Secret shows how the dogged efforts of a handful of scientists were able to turn a wartime tragedy and coverup into one of society's greatest gifts. This is a rare jewel of a story that readers will love and fellow historians will covet. -- James M. Scott, Pulitzer Prize finalist and author of TARGET TOKYO and RAMPAGERemarkable...the story of a genuinely extraordinary man [told] uncommonly well. * Washington Post on TUXEDO PARK *A brilliant account of the all but vanished reputation of an amateur physicist who became a friend and peer of the greatest scientists of his time. -- Kurt Vonnegut on TUXEDO PARKTable of ContentsPrologue: "Little Pearl Harbor" Chapter One: "A Regiment of Wizards" Chapter Two: "The Die Is Cast" Chapter Three: "Angels in Long Underwear" Chapter Four: "Journey into the Nightmare" Chapter Five: "A Special Affinity" Chapter Six: "Recommendation to Secrecy" Chapter Seven: "Magnum Opus" Chapter Eight: "Forgotten Front" Chapter Nine: "A Riddle Wrapped in a Mystery" Chapter Ten: "Frontal Attack" Chapter Eleven: Trials and Tribulations Chapter Twelve: "The Sword and the Ploughshare" Epilogue: Belated Justice

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Book SynopsisPPPP . . . To compress 200 years of psychiatric theory and practice into a compelling and coherent narrative is a fine achievement . . . . What strikes the reader [most] are Shorter''s storytelling skills, his ability to conjure up the personalities of the psychiatrists who shaped the discipline and the conditions under which they and their patients lived.--Ray Monk The Mail on Sunday magazine, U.K. An opinionated, anecdote-rich history. . . . While psychiatrists may quibble, and Freudians and other psychoanalysts will surely squawk, those without a vested interest will be thoroughly entertained and certainly enlightened.--Kirkus Reviews. Shorter tells his story with immense panache, narrative clarity, and genuinely deep erudition.--Roy Porter Wellcome Institute for the History of Medicine. In A History of Psychiatry, Edward Shorter shows us the harsh, farcical, and inspiring realities of society''s changing attitudes toward and attempts to deal wTable of ContentsPreface 1 The Birth of Psychiatry vii A World without Psychiatry 1 Traditional Asylums 4 Heralding the Therapeutic Asylum 8 Organizing the Therapeutic Asylum 18 Nervous Illness and Nonpsychiatrists 22 Toward a Biological Psychiatry 26 Romantic Psychiatry 29 2 The Asylum Era 33 National Traditions 34 The Pressure of Numbers 46 Why the Increase? 48 Redistribution of Illness 49 Rising Rate of Psychiatric Illness 53 Dead End 65 3 The First Biological Psychiatry 69 Enter Ideas 69 A German Century 71 French Disasters 81 Anglo-Saxon Laggards 87 Degeneration 93 The End of the First Biological Psychiatry 99 An American Postscript 109 4 Nerves 113 Nerves Better than Madness 114 The Flight of Madness into the Spa 119 Tired Nerves and the Rest Cure 129 Neurology Discovers Psychotherapy 136 5 The Psychoanalytic Hiatus 145 Freud and His Circle 146 The Battle Begins 154 American Origins 160 The Arrival of the Europeans 166 Triumph 170 Psychoanalysis and the American Jews 181 6 Alternatives 190 Fever Cure and Neurosyphilis 192 Early Drugs 196 Prolonged Sleep 200 Shock and Coma 207 Electroshock 218 The Lobotomy Adventure 225 Social and Community Psychiatry 229 7 The Second Biological Psychiatry 239 The Genetic Strand 240 The First Drug That Worked 246 The Cornucopia 255 Neuroscience 262 Antipsychiatry 272 Return to “the Community” 277 The Battle over ECT 281 8 From Freud to Prozac 288 Maintaining Market Share 289 A Nation Hungers for Psychotherapy 293 Science versus Fashion in Diagnosis 295 The Decline of Psychoanalysis 305 Cosmetic Psychopharmacology 314 Why Psychiatry? 325 Notes 329 Index 421

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Book SynopsisMany people know that in 1928 Alexander Fleming discovered penicillin''s antibiotic potential while examining a stray mould that had bloomed in a dish of bacteria in his London laboratory. But few realise that Fleming worked only fitfully on penicillin until 1935, and that he is merely one character in the remarkable story of the antibiotic''s development as a drug. The others are Howard Florey, Professor of Pathology at Oxford University, where he ran the Dunn School; the German Jewish emigre and biochemist Ernst Chain; and Norman Heatley, one of the few scientists in Britain capable of the micro-analysis of organic substances. It was these three men and their colleagues at the Dunn School who would battle a lack of money, a lack of resources and even each other to develop a drug that would change the world. It was these three men and their colleagues who would be almost forgotten. Why this happened, why it took fourteen years to develop penicillin, and how it was finally done, is a story of quirky individuals, missed opportunities, medical prejudice, brilliant science, shoestring research, wartime pressures and misplaced modesty.Trade ReviewAdmirable, superbly researched ... Perhaps the most exciting tale of science since the apple dropped on Newton's head * Simon Winchester, NEW YORK TIMES *Veteran journalist and author Lax takes a revealing look back at the time when world-altering science was done on a shoestring, bringing to brilliant life the story of the first great antibiotic ... Informative and thoroughly enjoyable science history * KIRKUS REVIEWS *[Lax] tells the stories of these four remarkable scientists adroitly . . . and reinserts them into their rightful place in scientific history. * INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY *A fascinating story of serendipity, wounded egos and medical myths. * GUARDIAN *

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Book SynopsisFrom the author of the No. 1 bestseller WEDLOCK, the story of two pioneering men of science, and a nation in thrall to mesmerism...Trade ReviewWendy Moore has written a thrilling account of this odd byway of medical history...she has successfully taken a historical episode and used it to colour in the world of 19th-century scientific endeavour and its attempts to uncover the still-unexplained mysteries of the human unconscious -- Lucy Lethbridge * LITERARY REVIEW *Engrossing...her social history of Victorian medicine, which struggled with innovation and provision for the poor, also feels rivetingly topical...[A] witty and instructive tale -- Miranda Seymour * DAILY TELEGRAPH *Elliotson, as Moore's engrossing study describes, became passionate about hypnosis, under which (he tried to prove) a patient could have surgery without pain. His demonstrations became as fashionable as any theatre - but was it fraud? * SUNDAY TELEGRAPH *The enthralling story of the Victorian doctor who claimed patients could be cured and operated on with hypnosis - only to be branded a fraud by the medical establishment. Today he's been triumphantly vindicated * DAILY MAIL *Charles Dickens, as it happens, has a cameo role in Moore's book. Sceptical at first about the powers of mesmerism, the novelist became a convert after witnessing one of the many sessions run by John Elliotson, the doctor who helped to start a craze for putting Londoners, sick and healthy alike, into trances -- Clive Davis * THE TIMES *Lively...Moore tells her story with gusto -- Lucy Hughes-Hallett * THE OBSERVER *Fascinating...she brings the London medical world to vivid life. Elliotson's experiments were covered in lavish detail by contemporary journals, but Moore has made this an altogether richer story by judicious use of details gleaned from diaries, case reports and hospital archives -- Thomas Morris * TIMES LITERARY SUPPLEMENT *Medicine in Victorian Britain was brutish and operations were performed without anaesthetic. Enter the self-styled Baron Dupotet, promoting hypnosis. Crowds flocked to see Elizabeth and Jane Okey mesmerised then suffer electric shocks or have nails hammered through their cheeks. So was his mesmerism quackery or real medical aid? -- John Lewis Stempel * SUNDAY EXPRESS *The idea of a higher, healing state took 19th-century society by storm but, as this lively book shows, it was to prove controversial * HISTORY REVEALED *Wendy Moore is an expert guide to the world of early 19th-century medicine, and this fascinating book is packed with buccaneering, larger-than-life doctors and gruesome operations, as well as the minutely documented antics of the Okey sisters. UCH in those times was evidently a much livelier place than it is today under our dear old NHS -- Jane Ridley * THE SPECTATOR *As in all her works, Moore provides evidence of meticulous research with copious notes to be appreciated by the medical historian and her acknowledgements demonstrate the breadth of her consultation...an invaluable addition to the literature on the struggle between science and superstition. -- Elizabeth Wood * BRITISH SOCIETY FOR THE HISTORY OF MEDICINE *Highly readable and entertaining -- Julie Peakman * HISTORY TODAY *The author's dry asides combined with the unsentimental light she sheds on medical experimentation make this an informative and riveting page turner -- Philippa Stockley * COUNTRY LIFE *

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