Synopsis
"Cadavers, camera, action!" (The New York Times Book Review). From the advent of photography in the 19th and into the 20th century, medical students, often in secrecy, took photographs of themselves with the cadavers that they dissected: their first patients. Featuring 138 of these historic photographs and illuminating essays by two experts on the subject, Dissection reveals a startling piece of American history. Sherwin Nuland, MD, said this is "a truly unique and important book [that] documents a period in medical education in a way that is matched by no other existing contribution." And Mary Roach said Dissection "is the most extraordinary book I have ever seen--the perfect coffee table book for all the households where I'd most like to be invited for coffee."
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Reviews
This is a startling window into the education of American doctors in the late 19th and early 20th centuries-on both a visceral level and for its revealing cultural record. Cringe-worthy shots of medical students-bare-handed gentlemen and a few ladies in street clothes show off their scalpels, saws and textbooks-while their cadavers, mostly poor and black, are awkwardly posed, and exposed. In one stunning shot, a black woman looks out from behind the young students. "What are we to make of an African-American woman, standing, broom handle in hand, behind the dissection table, her gaze fixed on the camera?" the authors ask. More importantly, they conclude, the photo is now drawn "out of the shadows of history" where "we can at least bear witness." A blood-soaked dissection table makes you want to look away and the dark humor of students playing pranks with skeletons are both hilarious and horrible. Postcards sent to family and friends must have caused shock and awe for postmen and recipient alike. Here, a difficult glance into medicine's "uncomfortable past" offers a grand opportunity to understand the legacy doctors and patients live with, and benefit from, today.
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Dissection: Photographs of a Rite of Passage in American Medicine 1880 1930
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Dissection: Photographs of a Rite of Passage in American Medicine 1880 1930
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Dissection: Photographs of a Rite of Passage in American Medicine 1880 1930
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Dissection: Photographs of a Rite of Passage in American Medicine 1880?1930
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Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Connecting readers with great books since 1972! Used books may not include companion materials, and may have some shelf wear or limited writing. We ship orders daily and Customer Service is our top priority! Seller Inventory # S_463277853
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Dissection: Photographs of a Rite of Passage in American Medicine 1880 1930
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Dissection Format: Hardcover
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Dissection Format: Hardcover
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Dissection: Photographs of a Rite of Passage in American Medicine 1880-1930
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DISSECTION PHOTOGRAPHS OF A RITE OF PASSAGE IN AMERICAN MEDICINE 1880 -1930
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Hardcover. Condition: Fine. Dust Jacket Condition: Fine. PHOTOS (illustrator). STATED FIRST. BOOK IS AS NEW A RATHER UNIQUE TITLE DEALING WITH THE PROCUREMENT OF BODIES BY MEDICAL STUDENTS OF THIS ERA WITH MANY PHOTOGRAPHS IT WAS QUITE THE TRICKY BUSINESS TO ACQUIRE A GOOD CORPSE TO WORK ON JACKET IS UNCLIPPED AND VERY BRIGHT MINIMAL SHELFWARE MUCH GALLOWS HUMOR. Seller Inventory # 006568
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Dissection : Photographs of a Rite of Passage in American Medicine 1880-1930
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