Reviews and Notes: History of Medicine: Living in the Shadow of Death: Tuberculosis and the Social Experience of Illness in American History

Living in the Shadow of Death: Tuberculosis and the Social Experience of Illness in American History

Sheila M. Rothman. 319 pages. New York: BasicBooks; 1994. $25.00.

The resurgence of tuberculosis has already inspired the publication of several relevant medical texts. Two books have now been written for the general public: Ryan's The Forgotten Plague, published in 1993, and this new book by Sheila Rothman.

Ryan's book deals with the origins and birthpains of chemotherapy for tuberculosis; Rothman depicts the human drama of the disease. Rothman is the Director of the Program on Human Rights and Medicine at Columbia College of Physicians and Surgeons and holds a PhD in history and an MA in philosophy and sociology.

Quoting from an extensive collection of manuscripts, letters, diaries, medical papers, and books, Rothman takes us back to the early 19th century in her descriptions of the ravages of tuberculosis at the height of the pandemic, emphasizing the plight of the “invalid” in New England. In this part of the narrative, she skillfully blends history, sociology, ethics, and medical science. The intricate personal situations of patients are portrayed against a background of medicine as it was practiced then. Without benefit of active drugs or surgical procedures, therapeutic efforts revolved around providing “salubrious” …