The Neurological Patient in History

Rochester Studies in Medical History

by L. Stephen Jacyna, Stephen T. Casper

Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, Tourette's, multiple sclerosis, stroke: all are neurological illnesses that create dysfunction, distress, and disability. With their symptoms ranging from impaired movement and paralysis to hallucinations and dementia, neurological patients present myriad puzzling disorders and medical challenges. Throughout the nineteenth and twentieth centuries countless stories about neurological patients appeared in newspapers, books, medical papers, and films. Often the patients were romanticized; indeed, it was common for physicians to cast neurological patients in a grand performance, allegedly giving audiences access to deep philosophical insights about the meaning of life and being. Beyond these romanticized images, however, the neurological patient was difficult to diagnose. Experiments often approached unethical realms, and treatment created challenges for patients, courts, caregivers, and even for patient advocacy organizations. In this kaleidoscopic study, the contributors illustrate how the neurological patient was constructed in history and came to occupy its role in Western culture. Stephen T. Casper is assistant professor in Humanities and Social Sciences at Clarkson University. L. Stephen Jacyna is reader in the History of Medicine and Director of the Centre for the History of Medicine at University College London.

Genres: Nonfiction, History

274 pages, Paperback

First published February 15, 2012

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm kind of torn on this book; I can't decide whether I liked it or didn't like it.

There is some interesting stuff in this book. I found the story of Jacques Raverat, a man living with MS in the 1920's in Europe, rather fascinating. The author talked about the neurological part of that story, what neurologists of the day thought MS was, but also did a good job of including the emotional part of the story as well. With many letters from Jacques wife to her friends and family, the story is told in a personal manner.

But despite the fact that there was some interesting stuff in this book, I found the overall tone to be highly academic and somewhat dull to read. Almost all of the sections in this book start with an intro section, go into what the section is about, and end with a conclusion and a lengthy list of notes (sources). I found that style to be a little too academic for a general book and to cause me to lose interest with the book (flipping through pages of notes at the end of each chapter got old really fast).

The writing itself wasn't anything special. The writing was pleasant to read but nothing really stood out as exceptional. The writing in this book is a little harder to get into than the writing in some other nonfiction books, which again brings me back to the point of this book feeling more like an academic book rather than a nonfiction book for the general public.

Overall, I'm still torn on what I thought of this book. I can't say that I didn't enjoy it as some of the chapters were interesting, but I can't say that I enjoyed it either as some chapters were dull and the style was very academic.

I received this book for review purposes via NetGalley.

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent book of essays that covers a wide breadth of ideas, issues, and points in the history of the neurological patient in history (hence the title, obviously). As with all essay collections, some of these were more useful for my personal research and interests than others. However, I thought that all the essays were clear, well-researched, and useful to anyone studying the late 19th and early 20th century development of neurology and psychiatry. The two pieces at the end of the book comment on the other essays and offer a nice historiographical overview of the state of patient-centered neurological history. I particularly appreciated how all the authors in this collection problematized the "patient" as an ahistorical concept and sought to redefine how historians recover the nature of patient-ness at various points in time.

This is an academic text and not necessarily for the casual reader. It does assume a fair amount of background knowledge. I think that anyone interested in the topic will find it a quality book-- just know going in that it may be a book to read in conjunction with a more general history of medicine and/or Google by your side.

[Erin (Historical Fiction Reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Find this and other reviews at: http://flashlightcommentary.blogspot....

I personally think it impossible to truly appreciate historic fiction if one is not versed in the history on which it is based. For this reason, I make a habit of picking up nonfiction that focuses on subjects with which I am not familiar which how I came to read The Neurological Patient in History.

A collection of essays the book offers detailed insight to the evolution of neurological medicine and the perception of neurological patients throughout history. On one hand I thought the information fascinating, but on the other I felt somewhat cheated in that none of the featured authors really delved into the treatment of the disorders they discussed.

Dry and clinical, The Neurological Patient in History is very much a special interest piece. Thought-provoking and illuminating in its way, but not as comprehensive as I would have liked.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

"The Neurological Patient in History" is a collection of essays on various topics about neurological illnesses and their context in history.

Some of the essays in this collection are fascinating - in particular, the chapters on epilepsy, Tourette's syndrome and chapters which focus mainly on single patients work really well - mostly because on the very human face of the neurological patient (as the title seems to suggest that the whole collection will do).

Many readers are more likely to find the more clinical chapters dry and harder to read. It would possibly have benefited the collection to ensure that more of these essays contained case studies, in order to give the titular "patient" a real and human face.

Overall, a fascinating look at how a selection of neurological diseases have been viewed and treated throughout history, but possibly not an easy read for a layperson.

[Nicholas Aune · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not necessarily an interesting read but a very informative one.

This book is a collection of articles examining the treatment of psychiatric and neurological patients in the modern world. This isn't a smear on the cruelty of past practices. This isn't a Whig history of the progresses made. This is a collection of EXTREMELY objective observations.

Lot of info. Good for a research jumping point (there are some pretty obscure topics in this collection). Not to great for reading or for getting a look at what literature is out there.