Phantom Plague: How Tuberculosis Shaped History
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- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2022-02-20 20:21:40
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Vidya Krishnan
- ISBN：1541768469
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Terry
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Starts with the history of TB and medicine's inability to diagnose and prevent TB until we had the microscope and then rigorous science。 But Krishnan uses the TB story to tell many more riveting stories including:- MD hubris that infected and killed many patients。 A careful study by Semmelweiss in 1842 showed that births done by MDs who generally were sloppy/ignorant about cleanliness had twice the mortality rate compared to the midwives who were more careful。- interesting side story about Sir A Starts with the history of TB and medicine's inability to diagnose and prevent TB until we had the microscope and then rigorous science。 But Krishnan uses the TB story to tell many more riveting stories including:- MD hubris that infected and killed many patients。 A careful study by Semmelweiss in 1842 showed that births done by MDs who generally were sloppy/ignorant about cleanliness had twice the mortality rate compared to the midwives who were more careful。- interesting side story about Sir A。 Doyle's medical career- took a generation to train men to quit spitting everywhere （on streetcars， sidewalks， the capitol building， etc） even after we knew TB was spread by such unsanitary behavior- how （obscene） profits drive medicine costs instead of a sense of humanity and morality- Mumbai with its high-rise slums is the epi-center of drug resistant TB======I found it too difficult to read the multiple chapters devoted to TB patients who suffer because of poverty， pharma profit policies， and uncaring governments。 。。。more
Manish
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Phantom Plague is an important book。 。 The introductory chapters on Koch， Pasteur and Semmelweis were interesting but suddenly tapered off。 I was looking forward to reading about the evolution of the front line antibiotics that became the mainstay of the treatment but Vidya Krishnan never ventures into it。 TB being the indirect inspiration for Stoker to create the character of Dracula was something I never knew about。 While the book aims to cover the crisis of Tuberculosis， the bulk of it is cen Phantom Plague is an important book。 。 The introductory chapters on Koch， Pasteur and Semmelweis were interesting but suddenly tapered off。 I was looking forward to reading about the evolution of the front line antibiotics that became the mainstay of the treatment but Vidya Krishnan never ventures into it。 TB being the indirect inspiration for Stoker to create the character of Dracula was something I never knew about。 While the book aims to cover the crisis of Tuberculosis， the bulk of it is centered on the harrowing experiences of patients diagnosed with DR and XDR TB in India （specifically Mumbai - the TB capital of the world）。 And the book is also a Marxist analysis of the global patent system， a critique of TRIPS and WTO and a scathing indictment of Johnson and Johnson's tactics to safeguard its flagship TB drug bedaquiline。The plan of the present Modi government to eliminate TB in India by 2025 is also portrayed to be a sham and detached from any coherent policy shifts in the bureaucracy。 。。。more
Riann
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I really enjoyed this book。 It's fascinating how mankind's understanding of pathogens and disease has evolved throughout history。 I had not known much about tuberculosis beyond the basics。 The stories of TB patients were very disheartening。 This book was incredibly well researched and informative。 I really enjoyed this book。 It's fascinating how mankind's understanding of pathogens and disease has evolved throughout history。 I had not known much about tuberculosis beyond the basics。 The stories of TB patients were very disheartening。 This book was incredibly well researched and informative。 。。。more
Steve
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