The Butchering Art- Joseph Lister's Quest to Transform the Grisly World of Victorian Medicine by Lindsey Fitzharris

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Web ID: 16778073

Winner, 2018 PEN, E. O. Wilson Prize for Literary Science WritingShort-listed for the 2018 Wellcome Book PrizeA Top 10 Science Book of Fall 2017, Publishers Weekly, A Best History Book of 2017, The Guardian "Warning- She spares no detail!" - Erik Larson, bestselling author of Dead Wake In The Butchering Art, the historian Lindsey Fitzharris reveals the shocking world of nineteenth-century surgery and shows how it was transformed by advances made in germ theory and antiseptics between 1860 and 1875. She conjures up early operating theaters no place for the squeamish and surgeons, who, working before anesthesia, were lauded for their speed and brute strength. These pioneers knew that the aftermath of surgery was often more dangerous than patients' afflictions, and they were baffled by the persistent infections that kept mortality rates stubbornly high. At a time when surgery couldn't have been more hazardous, an unlikely figure stepped forward- a young, melancholy Quaker surgeon named Joseph Lister, who would solve the riddle and change the course of history. Fitzharris dramatically reconstructs Lister's career path to his audacious claim that germs were the source of all infection and could be countered by a sterilizing agent applied to wounds.

  • Product Features

    • Suggested age range- Adult
    • Format- Paperback
    • Dimensions- 5.3" W x 8.2" H x 0.9" D
    • Genre- Health & wellness
    • Publisher- Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Publication date- 10-02-2018
    • Page count- 304
    • ISBN- 9780374537968
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1 month ago

Wash your hands!!

“Lister understood that being in a hospital could be a terrifying experience and followed his own golden rule: “Every patient, even the most degraded, should be treated with the same care and regard as though he were the Prince of Wales himself.” Another great read from @morbidlycuriousbookclub  🖤 This book was fascinating.  It made me want to wash my hands over and over! 🤢  It blows my mind of how little thought I’ve given to how recent “modern” medicine is and what that term actually means.  Realizing that there are people still alive who lived in an age where things like sterile surgical rooms and local anesthesia were rare or non-existant is actually mind-boggling.  As a germaphobe, the Victorian period is just terrifying to me.  I really appreciate authors who take the time to bring our history to light in an interesting way.  Fantastic job by @drlindseyfitzharris If you work in or are just fascinated by the medical field, this is a must-read!  🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟4/5 

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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com

3 years ago
from Atlanta, GA

Incredible and entertaining

I heard the author on a podcast and the subject matter was something I’ve never read before and sounded fascinating, but she said that she really attempted to tell the story in a narrative form to keep it entertaining and interesting. I thought I’d give it a try. This book had me laughing out loud, grimacing in horror, and physically nauseous within a few pages. It is a true work of art. I purchased her second book and cannot wait to start it. I’ve told at least a dozen people to buy this book. As someone who generally enjoys fiction, this was an easy but informative dive into nonfiction. I could reread it again today!

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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com

4 years ago

Grimy and inspiring

Joseph Lister, armed with curiosity and a microscope, entered this realm determined to discover what caused infection. It is not an exaggeration to say that many of us owe our lives to him. I think this book is for people who seek to understand: (1) medicine in a world that was helplessly unaware of bacteria and germs; (2) the remarkable obstacles Lister overcame to discover and preach the dangers of bacteria and germs; and (3) how his relentless experiments altered not only the medical and surgical communities of the time, but also how hospitals and society regard cleanliness today.

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Customer review from barnesandnoble.com