Great Feuds In Medicine

Documents 10 dramatic medical disputes. British anatomist William Harvey's 1628 discovery of blood circulation challenged anatomical theory and caused his ostracism by the scientific community. In the late 18th-century, electrical disputes raged between Galvani whose "animal electricity" theory, to modern sensibilities, borders on the occult, though it garnered immediate support and prefigured current studies of electricity and paralysis and Volta, who worked to disprove Galvani. Claude Bernard's experiments on animals, in his studies of the nervous system, caused outrage among antivivisectionists and led to his being disowned by his family. Hungarian obstetrician Ignaz Semmelweis was committed to a mental hospital after the Viennese medical establishment rejected his hypothesis that unsanitary conditions in his workplace (doctors went from an autopsy to a birth without washing their hands) caused the high infection and death rate among patients. Other chapters address "Freud.

"An exciting, well-researched work, which should appeal to anyone with an interest in the nature and progress of the human race." —American Scientist The cataclysmic clash of medical ideas and personalities comes to colorful life In this follow-up to the critically acclaimed Great Feuds in Science (Wiley: 0-471-16980-3), Hal Hellman tells the stories of the ten most heated and important disputes of medical science. Featuring a mix of famous and lesser-known stories, Great Feuds in Medicine includes the fascinating accounts of William Harvey's battle with the medical establishment over his discovery of the circulation of blood; Louis Pasteur's fight over his theory of germs; and the nasty dispute between American Robert Gallo and French researcher Luc Montagnier over who discovered the HIV virus. An informative and insightful look at how such medical controversies are not only typical, but often necessary to the progress of the science.

The dramatic stories of ten historic feuds: How they altered the course of discovery-and shaped the modern world Hall Hellman tells the lively stories of ten of the most outrageous and intriguing disputes from the seventeenth to the twentieth centuries. Bringing the cataclysmic clash of ideas and personalities to colorful life, Hellman explores both the science and the spirit of the times. Along the way, he reveals that scientific feuds are fueled not only by the purest of intellectual disagreements, but also by intransigence, ambition, jealousy, politics, faith, and the irresistible human urge to be right. Unusual insight into the development of science . . . I was excited by this book and enthusiastically recommend it to general as well as scientific audiences. -American Scientist Hellman has assembled a series of entertaining tales. . . . many fine examples of heady invective without parallel in our time. -Nature An entertaining and informative account of the unusual personalities and sometimes bitter rivalries of some of the world's greatest scientific minds. -Publishers Weekly A fascinating new book which details some of the most famous disputes of the ages.-Courier Mail Dry science history turns into entertaining reading without sacrificing historical accuracy. -The Christchurch Press Great Feuds in Science is wonderful history, as the reader learns how scientists had to fight with religious leaders and other scientists to get their work recognized, accepted, and even get the credit for it! -Bookviews

Praise for Hal Hellman Great Feuds in Mathematics "Those who think that mathematicians are cold, mechanical proving machines will do well to read Hellman's book on conflicts in mathematics. The main characters are as excitable and touchy as the next man. But Hellman's stories also show how scientific fights bring out sharper formulations and better arguments." -Professor Dirk van Dalen, Philosophy Department, Utrecht University Great Feuds in Technology "There's nothing like a good feud to grab your attention. And when it comes to describing the battle, Hal Hellman is a master." -New Scientist Great Feuds in Science "Unusual insight into the development of science . . . I was excited by this book and enthusiastically recommend it to general as well as scientific audiences." -American Scientist "Hellman has assembled a series of entertaining tales . . . many fine examples of heady invective without parallel in our time." -Nature Great Feuds in Medicine "This engaging book documents [the] reactions in ten of the most heated controversies and rivalries in medical history. . . . The disputes detailed are . . . fascinating. . . . It is delicious stuff here." -The New York Times "Stimulating." -Journal of the American Medical Association

""Everyone loves a good fight, especially on the world stage, and Evans calls these contests with skill and flair.""--Kirkus Reviews (starred review) The dramatic stories of ten high-stakes feuds that changed history foreverIn this spicy follow-up to the successful Great Feuds in Science and Great Feuds in Medicine, author Colin Evans offers blow-by-blow accounts of ten of the nastiest and most consequential feuds in history, from Elizabeth I's lengthy spat with royal pain Mary, Queen of Scots, to Aaron Burr's bloody battle with Alexander Hamilton, to Stalin and Trotsky's ferocious, intercontin.

“Paul Farmer brings his considerable intellect, empathy, and expertise to bear in this powerful and deeply researched account of the Ebola outbreak that struck West Africa in 2014. It is hard to imagine a more timely or important book.” —Bill and Melinda Gates "[The] history is as powerfully conveyed as it is tragic . . . Illuminating . . . Invaluable." —Steven Johnson, The New York Times Book Review In 2014, Sierra Leone, Liberia, and Guinea suffered the worst epidemic of Ebola in history. The brutal virus spread rapidly through a clinical desert where basic health-care facilities were few and far between. Causing severe loss of life and economic disruption, the Ebola crisis was a major tragedy of modern medicine. But why did it happen, and what can we learn from it? Paul Farmer, the internationally renowned doctor and anthropologist, experienced the Ebola outbreak firsthand—Partners in Health, the organization he founded, was among the international responders. In Fevers, Feuds, and Diamonds, he offers the first substantive account of this frightening, fast-moving episode and its implications. In vibrant prose, Farmer tells the harrowing stories of Ebola victims while showing why the medical response was slow and insufficient. Rebutting misleading claims about the origins of Ebola and why it spread so rapidly, he traces West Africa’s chronic health failures back to centuries of exploitation and injustice. Under formal colonial rule, disease containment was a priority but care was not – and the region’s health care woes worsened, with devastating consequences that Farmer traces up to the present. This thorough and hopeful narrative is a definitive work of reportage, history, and advocacy, and a crucial intervention in public-health discussions around the world.

If someone were to ask you who invented the miner's safety lamp, you'd probably have no trouble answering "I don't know." But what about the telegraph? The automobile? The airplane? Television? Conflicting claims over the answers to these questions have led to some of the longest and most bitter battles in the history of technology. Great Feuds in Technology takes a close look at each of these celebrated disputes and reveals that the answers are far more complex, entertaining, and enlightening than you might ever imagine.

From Descartes battling Fermat for the honour of inventing analytic geometry, to Poincaré wrangling with Russell over the logical foundations of mathematics, this text provides a fascinating look behind the numbers game.