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Away with All Pests: An English Surgeon in People's China, 1954-1969
Away with All An English Surgeon in People's China, 1954-1969
- GenresChina
224 pages, Paperback
Published June 1, 1971
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
October 8, 2012
Fellow public health activists kept urging me to read this, which I finally did in preparation for a conference. First-hand accounts are always interesting, and this one, by an English surgeon with leftist leanings who moved to China in the 1950s, is particularly fascinating. It's also quite entertaining and moving at times.
Horn describes what it's like to work in a hospital in a newly re-organized society, moving to a communist ideal. Horn is unabashedly positive about the new developments, which I'm sure may put less sympathetic readers off, but it's worth considering the details he relates. Chapters tend to alternate between anecdotes and stories of particular patients and experiences, and generalized descriptions of a health campaign carried out by the government and the people. The latter chapters, from a quantitative analyst's POV, are invaluable: there's the eradication of syphilis within 10 years; and similar defeat of schistosomiasis. The former include stories like that of an agricultural worker's wife who was thrown from a mule and broke her neck, and how Horn and fellow volunteer doctors in the countryside were able to treat her in the absence of a full traction equipment. I was also pleased to learn of advances made in skin grafts; re-attaching severed limbs; and synthesizing insulin (for the first time in human history) made in China during this period. Horn also describes the forerunner to the Barefoot Doctor Movement, a standard model for creating a primary care system in developing countries.
Highly recommended for activists, leftists, health workers--well, for everybody who has a body who'd like that body to live in a healthy society.
Horn describes what it's like to work in a hospital in a newly re-organized society, moving to a communist ideal. Horn is unabashedly positive about the new developments, which I'm sure may put less sympathetic readers off, but it's worth considering the details he relates. Chapters tend to alternate between anecdotes and stories of particular patients and experiences, and generalized descriptions of a health campaign carried out by the government and the people. The latter chapters, from a quantitative analyst's POV, are invaluable: there's the eradication of syphilis within 10 years; and similar defeat of schistosomiasis. The former include stories like that of an agricultural worker's wife who was thrown from a mule and broke her neck, and how Horn and fellow volunteer doctors in the countryside were able to treat her in the absence of a full traction equipment. I was also pleased to learn of advances made in skin grafts; re-attaching severed limbs; and synthesizing insulin (for the first time in human history) made in China during this period. Horn also describes the forerunner to the Barefoot Doctor Movement, a standard model for creating a primary care system in developing countries.
Highly recommended for activists, leftists, health workers--well, for everybody who has a body who'd like that body to live in a healthy society.
July 18, 2026
This book was quite inspiring. We always seem to think that our way of seeing the world is the most up-to-date, that the places we need to grow are only vague and theoretical. There are moments, though, where we are confronted with our shortcomings, our biases and ways of seeing the world, so deeply entrenched, that we were blind to their impact.
Away With All Pests forces the reader to have that moment, time and time again. Each chapter and story, beautifully written, challenges the way that our societies run, what we prioritize, and how we view the value of labor in our own lives versus others. There is no denying the systemic inequalities inherent to a certain capitalist mindset, where the people who need it most receive the least amount of medical care, where we eat food and buy clothes cheaply made because someone else was exploited.
Dr. Horn doesn’t show this with a story of doom and gloom, though. He writes about triumphs over this system, where common citizens were flown in to the best hospitals to be given care at no cost, where doctors travelled in medical teams to remote rural areas and trained peasant doctors in those areas to ensure medical care for everyone. He explains stories of people’s minds and perspectives changing in real-time. There is a certain humility and grace (that online spaces sometimes lack) that comes from the idea that not everyone has the “correct perspective” on things from the minute they were born, but that people can change at any age through concrete and tangible experiences. He writes about how treating an ox wasn’t below the pay grade of a doctor in a rural town, how illnesses like schistosomiasis that have plagued the country for decades could be eradicated in a few years’ time, and the intensive and systematic work that had to be done by people everywhere to make it happen.
This book gives me a lot to think about as I go into my posh office job every morning, and reminds me to never stop fighting for systemic change, because truly anything is possible with the will to see it through.
Away With All Pests forces the reader to have that moment, time and time again. Each chapter and story, beautifully written, challenges the way that our societies run, what we prioritize, and how we view the value of labor in our own lives versus others. There is no denying the systemic inequalities inherent to a certain capitalist mindset, where the people who need it most receive the least amount of medical care, where we eat food and buy clothes cheaply made because someone else was exploited.
Dr. Horn doesn’t show this with a story of doom and gloom, though. He writes about triumphs over this system, where common citizens were flown in to the best hospitals to be given care at no cost, where doctors travelled in medical teams to remote rural areas and trained peasant doctors in those areas to ensure medical care for everyone. He explains stories of people’s minds and perspectives changing in real-time. There is a certain humility and grace (that online spaces sometimes lack) that comes from the idea that not everyone has the “correct perspective” on things from the minute they were born, but that people can change at any age through concrete and tangible experiences. He writes about how treating an ox wasn’t below the pay grade of a doctor in a rural town, how illnesses like schistosomiasis that have plagued the country for decades could be eradicated in a few years’ time, and the intensive and systematic work that had to be done by people everywhere to make it happen.
This book gives me a lot to think about as I go into my posh office job every morning, and reminds me to never stop fighting for systemic change, because truly anything is possible with the will to see it through.
January 17, 2025
𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚋𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚜 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚋𝚕𝚎, 𝚝𝚘 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚌𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚎𝚛 𝚊𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚞𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚘 𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚜
..𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍𝚜 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙 𝚗𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝙳𝚛 𝙽𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝙱𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚞𝚗𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚙𝚘𝚒𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚘𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎 𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚗 𝚊 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚜𝚘𝚕𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚛. 𝚂𝚘𝚕𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗'𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚙𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚍, 𝚊𝚜 𝚙𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚢 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚍𝚒𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚜𝚊𝚌𝚛𝚒𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚢. 𝙷𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚛 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚊 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙹𝚊𝚙𝚊𝚗 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚛𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚙 𝚛𝚊𝚠 𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚕𝚜. 𝚁𝚘𝚋𝚋𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙶𝚘𝚕𝚍, 𝚜𝚒𝚕𝚟𝚎𝚛, 𝚒𝚛𝚘𝚗, 𝚌𝚘𝚊𝚕 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚒𝚕 𝚘𝚏 𝙲𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚊. 𝙸𝚝'𝚜 𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚙𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚕. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚒𝚝. 𝚂𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚖𝚎𝚗 𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝚒𝚏 𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎.
𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚒𝚐𝚐𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚌𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝚒𝚜 𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚗 labor
..𝚋𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚊𝚕𝚠𝚊𝚢𝚜 𝚜𝚎𝚛𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚢𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍𝚜 𝚑𝚎𝚕𝚙 𝚗𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝚠𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚘𝚏 𝙳𝚛 𝙽𝚘𝚛𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝙱𝚎𝚝𝚑𝚞𝚗𝚎 𝚠𝚑𝚘 𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚙𝚘𝚒𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚘𝚝 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎 𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚗 𝚊 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚍 𝚜𝚘𝚕𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚛. 𝚂𝚘𝚕𝚍𝚒𝚎𝚛𝚜 𝚍𝚒𝚍𝚗'𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚘 𝚋𝚎 𝚙𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚒𝚎𝚍, 𝚊𝚜 𝚙𝚒𝚝𝚝𝚢 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚍𝚒𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚜𝚊𝚌𝚛𝚒𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚎 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚒𝚛 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚢. 𝙷𝚎 𝚜𝚒𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚛 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚌𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚊 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝙹𝚊𝚙𝚊𝚗 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚛𝚒𝚌𝚑 𝚙𝚎𝚘𝚙𝚕𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚙 𝚛𝚊𝚠 𝚖𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚕𝚜. 𝚁𝚘𝚋𝚋𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙶𝚘𝚕𝚍, 𝚜𝚒𝚕𝚟𝚎𝚛, 𝚒𝚛𝚘𝚗, 𝚌𝚘𝚊𝚕 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚒𝚕 𝚘𝚏 𝙲𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚊. 𝙸𝚝'𝚜 𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚙𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚊𝚕. 𝚃𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚐𝚎𝚝 𝚑𝚘𝚗𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚒𝚝. 𝚂𝚞𝚌𝚑 𝚖𝚎𝚗 𝚖𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚑 𝚒𝚏 𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚗 𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚎.
𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚒𝚐𝚐𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚌𝚎 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚘𝚛𝚕𝚍 𝚒𝚜 𝚑𝚞𝚖𝚊𝚗 labor
May 7, 2013
Such an unusual story this is. My family was friends with the author and his family in China in the 1950s. I had been thinking back to my childhood and specifically the campaign to rid China of sparrows. Unfortunately for me, Dr. Horn did not cover this in his discussion of "Pests".
I was surprised that, even though it appears very dense, I found it very readable. The kuddo's to Mao Tse Dung, including his leading of the Cultural Revolution, are very heartfelt and it affected me deeply.
I was surprised that, even though it appears very dense, I found it very readable. The kuddo's to Mao Tse Dung, including his leading of the Cultural Revolution, are very heartfelt and it affected me deeply.
February 6, 2012
This book is an almost unparalleled insight into life in pre-revolution and post-revolution China. The prose is informative and it does include some pictures. It also has accounts of acupuncture being used in the Hospitals successfully, which is interesting from a Western point of view. Anyone interested in Mao, Communism,China or Western Medicine should read this.
July 10, 2007
Anyone that knows me know that I hate pests, maybe more than anything.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews