Contagion and the State in Europe, 1830-1930

by Peter Baldwin

This book explains the historical reasons for the divergence in public health policies adopted in Britain, France, Germany and Sweden, and the spectrum of responses to the threat of contagious diseases such as cholera, smallpox and syphilis. In particular the book examines the link between politics and prevention, and uses medical history to illuminate broader questions of the development of statutory intervention and the comparative and divergent evolution of the modern state in Europe.

Genres: History

596 pages, Paperback

First published August 18, 1995

Reviews

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Easily a five-star book. Baldwin examines a paradigm that attributes the disease response of various European countries (Britain, France, Germany, and Sweden, mostly) to their existing political cultures: more liberal political cultures used less intrusive means in response to epidemiological challenges. He problematizes the notion a bit, noting that in all cases, inaction was frowned upon by basically everyone in power, and offers some useful complicating factors that correlate better with the decisions made: geoepidemiology, mercantile interests, and administrative capacity.

At the end, he provocatively asks us to think about switching the arrow of causation, suggesting that political cultures may have developed in concert with epidemiological challenges. I don't think he convinces me that disease was a factor in the development of political cultures, but I would be willing to see more evidence, in terms of a deep-dive study into the institutions themselves, as opposed to disease. Still, it's a clever suggestion, and one worth investigating further.

This is the best book in its class, and is definitely the one book I would recommend for someone who wants to read about the past context for present debates on quarantine, vaccination, etc. History may not repeat itself, but some themes recur over and over. If I were teaching a class on the history of disease, at least some of this would almost certainly be assigned.

Drawbacks: book is very long (563 pages); Baldwin's style is highly erudite and makes it dense at times. But it's worth the read, if you're interested in the field.

[Margaret · Rating 3 out of 5]

Take home message: a variety of factors influence the diverse responses by states to contagion.