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Cholera: The Biography
Cholera is a frightening disease. Victims are wracked by stomach cramps and suffer intense diarrhoea. Death can come within hours.
Though now seeming a distant memory in Europe, which suffered several epidemics in the 19th century before John Snow identified the link with water, cholera is still a serious threat in many parts of the world--Zimbabwe is a recent example. Snow's discovery was one of the great breakthroughs of
epidemiology and a wonderful story from the history of science. Later came the discovery of the culprit organism--Cholera vibrio--understanding of its life cycle, and the development of a vaccine. But the problem of cholera has not disappeared. This book tells the story of cholera, and looks at both
the medical success in the West, and the different attitudes to the disease in countries in which it is prevalent as opposed to those in which it put in a temporary appearance. Unlike other books on cholera, which focus on the experience of particular countries, Christopher Hamlin's account draws
together the experiences from various countries, both those that were colonies and those that were not.
the biography is part of the Oxford series, Biographies of Diseases , edited by William and Helen Bynum. In each individual volume an expert historian or clinician tells the story of a particular disease or condition throughout history - not only in terms of growing medical understanding of
its nature and cure, but also shifting social and cultural attitudes, and changes in the meaning of the name of the disease itself.
Though now seeming a distant memory in Europe, which suffered several epidemics in the 19th century before John Snow identified the link with water, cholera is still a serious threat in many parts of the world--Zimbabwe is a recent example. Snow's discovery was one of the great breakthroughs of
epidemiology and a wonderful story from the history of science. Later came the discovery of the culprit organism--Cholera vibrio--understanding of its life cycle, and the development of a vaccine. But the problem of cholera has not disappeared. This book tells the story of cholera, and looks at both
the medical success in the West, and the different attitudes to the disease in countries in which it is prevalent as opposed to those in which it put in a temporary appearance. Unlike other books on cholera, which focus on the experience of particular countries, Christopher Hamlin's account draws
together the experiences from various countries, both those that were colonies and those that were not.
the biography is part of the Oxford series, Biographies of Diseases , edited by William and Helen Bynum. In each individual volume an expert historian or clinician tells the story of a particular disease or condition throughout history - not only in terms of growing medical understanding of
its nature and cure, but also shifting social and cultural attitudes, and changes in the meaning of the name of the disease itself.
368 pages, Hardcover
First published October 8, 2009
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
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July 23, 2013I suppose the microbe that causes cholera is a living organism and thus warrants a “biography,” but I’m not sure the term can apply when the subject is really millions of micro-organisms, constantly adapting over time. Still, Hamlin’s book is readable for nonspecialists, informative, and thought-provoking, considering changing attitudes toward the disease and ethical questions as well as history of science. The scope is global, often pointing to the interference of national rivalries in the efforts to eliminate the disease. One chapter deliberately shifts from a highly technical account of laboratory work identifying many different strains of the microbe to fanciful metaphors that emphasize the questions that still remain, especially why cholera outbreaks still occur when modern science has the means to prevent them. Though the scientific terms are explained in context, a glossary provides a convenient reference, and Hamlin describes further reading for those who wish to know more.
January 3, 2022
Comprehensive look to the subject. However, personally I would have hoped for more scientific notations, but this is probably meant for quite popular audience. Which is fine, but I really could've used the notations myself. The tone of the book was also quite popular. Which, again, doesn't make it necessarily bad, but I'm not sure if this was my cup of tea. And despite of the rather popular tone, I still found this a bit difficult to follow.
At times it was hard to distinguish whether Hamlin was speaking about his own views or about the views shown in his source material. For me, this was the biggest problem.
There is clearly a lot of effort gone to making the research, but the presentation of that research could be better.
At times it was hard to distinguish whether Hamlin was speaking about his own views or about the views shown in his source material. For me, this was the biggest problem.
There is clearly a lot of effort gone to making the research, but the presentation of that research could be better.
February 3, 2014
I read this book for a combination of business and pleasure. From an academic standpoint, Hamlin's "biography" of cholera is detailed and meticulously researched and provides a comprehensive background on the biology and sociology of cholera since its appearance in Europe during the first pandemics. From a pleasure perspective, this book is too technical to be widely appreciated and tends to be dithering and to take an uncertainty in tone. I wouldn't generally recommend this book but can attest to its topic-specific thoroughness.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews