Description
Book Synopsis This biography of James Edmund Reeves, whose legislative accomplishments cemented American physicians'' control of the medical marketplace, illuminates landmarks of American health care: the troubled introduction of clinical epidemiology and development of botanic medicine and homeopathy, the Civil War''s stimulation of sanitary science and hospital medicine, the rise of government involvement, the revolution in laboratory medicine, and the explosive growth of phony cures. It recounts the human side of medicine as well, including the management of untreatable diseases and the complex politics of medical practice and professional organizing. Reeves'' life provides a reminder that while politics, economics, and science drive the societal trajectory of modern health care, moral decisions often determine its path.
Trade ReviewAs Dr. Harris demonstrates well, the roots of many of today’s threats to medicine as a profession emerged in the 19th Century. James Reeves’ story provides inspiration for professionals confronting challenges in caring for patients.”—Herbert M. Swick, MD, former president, American Osler Society and former executive director, Institute of Medicine and Humanities; “This well-written and deeply researched book explores the career of an extraordinary American physician, James Reeves. Though barely known today, Reeves was one of the most influential medical and public health leaders in the United States during the last third of the nineteenth century, a period of profound transition in American medical history.
Professionalizing Medicine not only offers the first thorough account of Reeves’s fascinating life story, but also recounts the ways in which Reeves’s strong commitments helped create the professionalized medical system still in place today. And as Harris skillfully demonstrates, many of the ethical and structural issues that Reeves faced during his lifetime continue to reverberate into our own era."" - James C. Mohr, CAS Distinguished Professor of History and Philip H. Knight Professor of Social Sciences Emeritus, University of Oregon, author of
Licensed to Practice—The Supreme Court Defines the American Medical Profession.
