Review by Choice Review
Thought-provoking and idea laden, Drawing Blood is clearly one of the most important new books in the field of medical history. The writing is dense but not turgid; rather, it is a style reflective of the extensive research and careful thought that shaped the work and the complexity of the subject. What could have been simply an exploration of the rise of hematology is, instead, an extensive social historical inquiry into the relationship of medicine and modern medical technology to culture. Early in the book Wailoo observes, "The question of what makes a disease 'real' in any period is no idle philosophical concern; it is, rather, a problem that lies at the center of ongoing medical, public health, and social debates--ranging from questions of moral responsibility to financial reimbursement and technology assessment." As he explores changing understandings of diseases he also exposes turf battles that developed as the power to dominate scientific medicine shifted from the individual practitioner to the specialist and the hospital. Readers come to understand the continued tensions between surgeons, hematologists, and oncologists. Two chapter titles serve as examples of the author's multifaceted approaches to his topic: "'Chlorosis'" Remembered: Disease and the Moral Management of American Women" and "The Rise and Fall of Splenic Anemia: Surgical Identity and the Ownership of a Blood Disease." Extensively documented, carefully written, and of obvious significance, Wailoo's volume deserves a large audience. Upper-division undergraduates through practitioners. I. Richman; Pennsylvania State University, Harrisburg
Copyright American Library Association, used with permission.
Review by Choice Review
