New book explores evolution of American medicine
Brooklyn Bookbeat: Author To Speak in Gowanus
Based on 15 years of research and illustrated with dozens of historical and exclusive photographs, “Dr. Mütter’s Marvels: A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovation at the Dawn of Modern Medicine” (Gotham; Sept. 4, 2014), delves deep into the life of a man who was truly ahead of his time.
Written by poet and author Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz, the book reveals Mütter’s early years as an orphan and his time spent studying cutting-edge surgery in Paris, as well as his struggles to establish himself in Philadelphia amidst the outrageous rivalries among his fellow doctors, many of whom publicly mocked Mütter’s philosophies and innovations, including his devotion to pre- and post-operative care, employing anesthesia and even the sterilization of his tools.
On Sept. 10, the author will appear in Brooklyn at the Morbid Anatomy Library & Museum to discuss her book, which offers to readers a window into to the evolution of American medicine: from bleedings and leechings to the standardization of medical schools; from the discovery of anesthesia to his community’s frustrating resistance to washing hands and sterilizing tools; from the unimaginable medical cases provoked by the rise of industrialism, to the challenges and innovations birthed as the country marched toward the Civil War.
