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Books Related to The Medical Detective Sandra Hempel - ISBN: 1862079374
Engrossing from start to finish - Rated
It was through the BBC series "Seven wonders of the Industrial World" that I first learned of the life and work of Dr John Snow and it was this that prompted me to buy Sandra Hempel's book, and I am so glad I did. It is a first rate story of one mans quest to understand and treat a terrfying disease and of the fierce opposition he faced from his peers, it is also a magnificent insight into society, disease and some of the appalling treatments metered out to try and cure patients in Victorian England. If nothing else after reading this book you may not looks at the NHS in such a poor light, considering how you would have been treated one hundred and fifty years ago.
A Fantastic Read - Rated
This is a fantastic tale of Victorian London, which though at heart is a medical tale, it's ultimately detective work that triumphs over the medical establishment. In the mid-1800s as cholera began to sweep Europe the medical establishment were at a loss, this was before the germ theory of disease and most medical treatment tended still to do more harm. Cholera whilst reasonably lethal to humans can be easily avoided as long as one avoids drinking from a contaminated water supply. Perhaps and observation for us to make today, but in a world before microbes this was still a large leap to make. Hempel skilfully weaves her tale of 19th century London telling us how Jon Snow through is grand experiment managed to unravel the mystery of cholera, along the way were introduced to a whole host of other characters from Florence Nightingale to Queen Victoria and well as presented with many fascinating facts and historical anecdotes. The prose is highly readable having an almost novel like quality to it, the story fascinating and more importantly we witness the legacy that the great cholera outbreaks still have on our society today.
WOW! - Rated
What an amazing book. I was hooked from start to finish. This writer has clearly honed both her style and her content into one ingrossing tale of scientific mystery.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who has a remote interest in science or medicine.
Happy reading...
A sorry tale of the establishment ignoring the truth - Rated
An engrossing story of the missed opportunities by the medical and political establishment to see the truth about how cholera is spread. To modern eyes the evidence carefully collected by John Snow seems obvious and the delays in implementing the precautions to stop the spread criminal. The book is not just a highly readable 'detective' story of how the truth emerged, but also a salutory reminder of how entenched views of any kind of establishment are very difficult to shift, particularly by someone who is not one of their own; and how the needs of commerce, in this case water companies, can override the protection of the public's health.
This book can be enjoyed by anyone interested how scientific/medical advances are made and how often it's a slow business with more than one person contributing to the final truth. It can also be enjoyed by those of us employed in trying to find these truths and remind us to be open-minded about things that don't fit our preconceived beliefs.
History with current relevance - Rated
Excellent history of the discovery of how a killer disease was transmitted; informative and readable. The dramatic account of the authorities in Whitehall watching the approach of cholera across Europe and having no real idea of how to deal with it has parallels with the current dread of bird flu. The medical and social background to the story in Victorian England are vividly presented.
