The Medical Detectives: Volume II

by Berton Roueché

The classic collection of award-winning medical investigative reporting

What do Lyme’s disease in Long Island, a pig from New Jersey, and am amateur pianist have in common? All are subjects in three of 24 utterly fascinating tales of strange illnesses, rare diseases, poisons, and parasites—each tale a thriller of medical suspense by the incomparable Berton Roueché. The best of his New Yorker articles are collected here to astound readers with intriguing tales of epidemics in America’s small towns, threats of contagion in our biggest cities, even bubonic plague in a peaceful urban park.
 
In each true story, local health authorities and epidemiologists race against time to find the clue to an unknown and possibly fatal disease. Sometimes a life hangs in the balance, and the culprit may be as innocuous as a bowl of oatmeal. Award-winning journalist Berton Roueché is unfailingly exact, informative, and able to keep anyone reading till dawn.

Genres: Medicine, Nonfiction, Mystery, Medical

367 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1984

About the author

Berton Roueché was a medical writer who wrote for The New Yorker magazine for almost fifty years. He also wrote twenty books, including Eleven Blue Men (1954), The Incurable Wound (1958), Feral (1974), and The Medical Detectives (1980). An article he wrote for The New Yorker was made into the 1956 film Bigger Than Life, and many of the medical mysteries on the television show House were inspired by Roueché's writings.

Reviews

[Petra X · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've just seen a b&w episode of Dr. Finlay's Casebook. I could just see him investigating the story that involved an outbreak of typhoid and tracing it to the local bakery that sold only 20 or so loaves of this particular kind of bread a week ('wholewheat' to the posher customers. The common sort prefer white.). That's just how dated this book is.

These middle-class doctors with their non-working middle-class wives do medical detection work about epidemics that have so little relevance to the world now. It all seems to be set in a world which isn't quite historical or yet modern, just post-WWII and no one is very interesting. Technology and communications have made a mockery of this kind of detection and so although quite well written, it's hard to enter into the spirit of the times and be fascinated by the mental processes of working out the cases. Not Dr. S. Holmes at all.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sequel/more Medical Detectives stories: I love epidemiology, medicine, detective stories, and this book. It’s fascinating. True medical detective stories. I read this so many years ago and I would imagine that some of the medical information is out of date, but the epidemiological process remains so riveting.

[Chanel Baron · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully told recounts of medical cases; reminded me of House, the tv show, for how exciting and interesting the cases were presented. Also, very interesting to read about medicine conducted in the mid 1900s when they were just developing a lot of diagnostics and medicines we take for granted today (antibiotics, diazepam, pre-MRI, beginning of gel electrophoresis, etc)

[Vader · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 star - Perfect
4 star - i would recommend
3 star - good
2 star - struggled to complete
1 star - could not complete it

[Katherine Johnston · Rating 4 out of 5]

These Medical Detective books have been in print for quite awhile, which explains why some of the writing is 'dated' - nevertheless this is a fascinating read if you like medical mysteries. The twenty-three chapters offer various conditions, some case-histories more intriguing than others, but each worthy of consideration. Not a light read, nor for one not interested in this genre, but for medical history buffs, these detective narratives are worth at least skimming through to see if something sparks your further interest.

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked up this book on the recommendation of one of my professors. These are fun stories in a who-done-it style designed for all ages. Rather than searching for a person, the reader is trying to unravel the cause of a medical problem. I would recommend these books as a fun break from textbooks for any medical student or teens with an interest in medicine.

[jillbertini · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating stories about how various epidemiological cases in the US were solved over a period of about 30 years.