The History of Yellow Fever. An Essay on the Birth of Tropical Medicine (review)

Abstract

health and sanitation measures, given the tremendous effect of the latter on health. Where this account demands that we take Aztec medicine seriously, it does succeed in providing a basis for understanding some of the approaches to health found among Mesoamerican peoples today. In a discussion of syncretism in the medical domain, Ortiz de Montellano offers insight into the origin and temporal transformation of many regional folk medical beliefs. By opening up an intriguing area of history while addressing issues relevant in contemporary health care contexts, Aztec Medkine, Health, and Nutrition proves a solid contribution to the literature on health and medicine in Mesoamerica. David Tancredi Department ofAnthropology University of Chkago TL· H^ory of Yellow Fever. An Essay on the Birth ofTropical Medicine. By François Delaporte. Cambridge: MIT Press, 1991. Pp. 181. $19.95. The reconciliation and solution of the contradictory accounts concerning the 1900 discovery of a cure for yellow fever are tackled by an epistemological approach to the history of science by Delaporte. He traces the roots of this medical 'who-dunnit' and "shows both pictures to be false because they neglect important historical antecedents and connectives." His perspective on the conquest of yellow fever "emphasizes that the significance of the event should not be centered on the nationalistic claim to a medical discovery, but rather the eptáemological shift which allowed scientists to conceive of the mosquito as the vector for the transmission of disease. This conclusion elucidates the political uses to which the story has been put, in both Cuba and the United States." The author has "attempted to lay the groundwork for the history of science in the true sense: namely, the analysis of theoretical structures and scientific propositions, of conceptual building blocks and their field of application." He has clarified and sanitized the relationships between Manson, Finlay, Durham, Myers, Ross and Reed. His analysis indicates that the merit of individuals is not at issue. The solution of the mystery surrounding the cure for yellow fever portrays and heralds the birth of tropical medicine. Ronald Singer Department ofAnatomy University of Chicago Understanding Medical Terminology, 8th ed. By Sr. Agnes Clare Frenay and Sr. Rose Maureen Mahoney. Catholic Health Assoc, of the United States, 1989. This is more than just an abbreviated and simplified medical dictionary. It is a current and authoritative introduction and explanation of medical terms. It Perspectives in Biology and Medicine, 35, 2 ¦ Winter 1992 309 ...