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Strange Blood

The Rise and Fall of Lamb Blood Transfusion in 19th Century Medicine and Beyond
  • Boel Berner
Language: English
Published/Copyright: 2020
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About this book

In the mid-1870s, the experimental therapy of lamb blood transfusion spread like an epidemic across Europe and the USA. Doctors tried it as a cure for tuberculosis, pellagra and anemia; proposed it as a means to reanimate seemingly dead soldiers on the battlefield. It was a contested therapy because it meant crossing boundaries and challenging taboos. Was the transfusion of lamb blood into desperately sick humans really defensible?

The book takes the reader on a journey into hospital wards and lunatic asylums, physiological laboratories and 19th century wars. It presents a fascinating story of medical knowledge, ambitions and concerns – a story that provides lessons for current debates on the morality of medical experimentation and care.

Reviews

»Insgesamt hat die schwedische Medizinhistorikerin eine interessante und lesenswerte Studie vorgelegt, der [...] das Verdienst gebührt, ein ansonsten nur randständig wahrgenommenes Thema quellen- und facettenreich auszuleuchten.«

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Publishing information
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
eBook published on:
June 8, 2020
eBook ISBN:
9783839451632
Pages and Images/Illustrations in book
Main content:
216
Illustrations:
31
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783839451632
eBook ISBN: 9783839451632
Keywords for this book
Blood Transfusion; Blood Transfusion; 19th Century; 19th Century; Lamb Blood; Lamb Blood; Clinical Practice; Clinical Practice; Medical History; Medical History; Medicine; Medicine; Human; Human; Animal; Animal; History of Medicine; History of Medicine; Human-Animal Studies; Human-Animal Studies; History of Science; History of Science; Cultural History; Cultural History; History; History
Audience(s) for this book
For an expert adult audience, including professional development and academic research
Creative Commons
BY-ND 4.0
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