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Introduction

Abstract

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book investigates the history of leprosy in eighteenth-century Suriname and the early colonial framing of the disease in the context of the slave economy. It describes 'white' medical perspectives and practices as contrasted with a bottom-up perspective of 'black' beliefs and practices. The book presents a reorganization of leprosy care in a modernizing colonial state. Modernization included both an emphasis on medical treatment and humanitarian care in new leprosy asylums and a new political accommodation in which the Protestants joined the Catholics in leprosy care. The book also investigates the care and treatment of leprosy in the modern era and questions how and to what extent disciplining sufferers in modern asylums took place and succeeded.

Abstract

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book investigates the history of leprosy in eighteenth-century Suriname and the early colonial framing of the disease in the context of the slave economy. It describes 'white' medical perspectives and practices as contrasted with a bottom-up perspective of 'black' beliefs and practices. The book presents a reorganization of leprosy care in a modernizing colonial state. Modernization included both an emphasis on medical treatment and humanitarian care in new leprosy asylums and a new political accommodation in which the Protestants joined the Catholics in leprosy care. The book also investigates the care and treatment of leprosy in the modern era and questions how and to what extent disciplining sufferers in modern asylums took place and succeeded.

Chapters in this book

  1. Front matter i 1
  2. Contents v
  3. List of figures vi
  4. List of tables vii
  5. Acknowledgements viii
  6. Introduction 1
  7. Part I Leprosy In A Slave Society
  8. 1 The making of a colonial disease in the eighteenth century 21
  9. 2 A policy of ‘Great Confinement’, 1815– 1863 43
  10. 3 Slaves and medicine: black perspectives 78
  11. 4 ‘Battleground in the jungle’ 93
  12. Part II Leprosy In A Modern Colonial State
  13. 5 Transformations and discussion 119
  14. 6 Towards a modern colonial state 142
  15. 7 Developing modern leprosy politics, 1900–1950 161
  16. 8 Colonial medicine and folk beliefs in the modern era 199
  17. 9 Complex microcosms: asylums and treatments, 1900– 1950 219
  18. Conclusion 247
  19. Sources and select bibliography 251
  20. Index 270
Leprosy and colonialism
This chapter is in the book Leprosy and colonialism
https://doi.org/10.7765/9781526113016.00006

Chapters in this book

  1. Front matter i 1
  2. Contents v
  3. List of figures vi
  4. List of tables vii
  5. Acknowledgements viii
  6. Introduction 1
  7. Part I Leprosy In A Slave Society
  8. 1 The making of a colonial disease in the eighteenth century 21
  9. 2 A policy of ‘Great Confinement’, 1815– 1863 43
  10. 3 Slaves and medicine: black perspectives 78
  11. 4 ‘Battleground in the jungle’ 93
  12. Part II Leprosy In A Modern Colonial State
  13. 5 Transformations and discussion 119
  14. 6 Towards a modern colonial state 142
  15. 7 Developing modern leprosy politics, 1900–1950 161
  16. 8 Colonial medicine and folk beliefs in the modern era 199
  17. 9 Complex microcosms: asylums and treatments, 1900– 1950 219
  18. Conclusion 247
  19. Sources and select bibliography 251
  20. Index 270
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