Synopses & Reviews
RATS, LICE, AND HISTORY By HANS ZINSSER. Being a Study in Biography, which, after Twelve Preliminary Chapters Indispensable for the Preparation of the Lay Reader, Deals with the Life History of TYPHUS FEVER Also known, at various stages of its Adventurous Career, as Morbus pulicaris Cardanus, 1545 Tabardiglio y puntos DeToro, 1574 Pin fas Febris pur purea epidemica Coyttarus, 1578 Febris quam lenticulas vel puncticulas vacant Fracastorius, 1546 Morbus hungaricus La Pourpre Pipercorn Febris petechialis vcra Febris maligna pestilens Febris putrida ct ma tgna Typhus carcerorum Jayl Fever Fievre des hopitaux Pcstis bcllica Morbus castremis Famine Fever Irish Ague Typhus cxanthematicus Faulfieber Hauptkrank heit Pcstartigc Eraune Exanthematisches Nervcnfiebcr, and so forth, and so forth. PREFACE: THESE chapters we hesitate to call so rambling a per formance a book were written at odd moments as a relaxation from studies of typhus fever in the laboratory and in the field. In following infectious diseases about the world, one ends by regarding them as biological individ uals which have lived through centuries, spanning many generations of men and having existences which, in their developments and wanderings, can be treated biograph ically. Typhus fever lends itself more than most others to such treatment because of its extraordinary parasitic cycles in the insect and animal worlds, the salient facts of which have all been elucidated within the last ten years. In no other infection does the bacteriologist find so favour able an opportunity for study of the evolution of a para sitism. Moreover, in its tragic relationship to mankind this disease is second to none not even to plague or to cholera. In the course of many years of preoccupation with in fectious diseases, which has-taken us alternately into the seats of biological warfare and into the laboratory, we have become increasingly impressed with the importance almost entirely neglected by historians and sociologists of the influence of these calamities upon the fate of nations, indeed upon the rise and fall of civilizations. The chapters which deal with this phase of our subject represent little more than preliminary notes. They may serve to stimulate future historians, who possess the learn ing which we lack, to give these factors the attention which they merit and to interpolate their effects into the interpretations of the past history of mankind. In no sense can we claim to have made any original contributions to the history of medicine. We have taken information where we could find it, and have freely used the works of such profound scholars as Schnurrer, Hecker, Ozanam, Haeser, Hirsch, Murchison, and others. In consulting ancient and mediaeval texts our meagre classical learning was re-enforced by the charitable good nature of our colleagues Professors Gulick and Rand, of our friend Dr. Charles Lund, and by the enthusiastic interest of Mr. C. T. Murphy of the Harvard Classical Department. Conversation and correspondence with Professor Sigerist of Johns Hopkins, Professor Merriman of Harvard, Ma jor Hume of the United States Army, and many others have brought us invaluable aid in critical places. We owe a particular debt of gratitude to our wise and kindly friend, Professor W. Morton Wheeler, who has been generous with advice and encouragement. Since this is, in no sense, a scientific treatise, we have left outreferences to recent work and, in order to neglect no one, have mentioned almost no names. For our chapters and comments on matters of literary interest we make no apologies. Although we regard them as pertinent to the general scheme of our exposition, many will regard them as merely impertinent...
Synopsis
RATS, LICE, AND HISTORY By HANS ZINSSER. Being a Study in Biography, which, after Twelve Preliminary Chapters Indispensable for the Preparation of the Lay Reader, Deals with the Life History of TYPHUS FEVER Also known, at various stages of its Adventurou
Synopsis
RATS, LICE, AND HISTORY By HANS ZINSSER. Being a Study in Biography, which, after Twelve Preliminary Chapters Indispensable for the Preparation of the Lay Reader, Deals with the Life History of TYPHUS FEVER Also known, at various stages of its Adventurous Career, as Morbus pulicaris Cardanus, 1545 Tabardiglio y puntos DeToro, 1574 Pin fas Febris pur purea epidemica Coyttarus, 1578 Febris quam lenticulas vel puncticulas vacant Fracastorius, 1546 Morbus hungaricus La Pourpre Pipercorn Febris petechialis vcra Febris maligna pestilens Febris putrida ct ma tgna Typhus carcerorum Jayl Fever Fievre des hopitaux Pcstis bcllica Morbus castremis Famine Fever Irish Ague Typhus cxanthematicus Faulfieber Hauptkrank heit Pcstartigc Eraune Exanthematisches Nervcnfiebcr, and so forth, and so forth. PREFACE: THESE chapters we hesitate to call so rambling a per formance a book were written at odd moments as a relaxation from studies of typhus fever in the laboratory and in the field. In following infec