Fat and Blood: and How to Make Them

by Weir S. Mitchell, Michael Kimmel (Contributor)

This volume presents one of Mitchell's touchstone texts of neurasthenia―cultural critique as medical diagnosis. Fat and Blood was a best seller in its time and went through multiple printings and numerous editions. It fused the cultural critique of modern society and the inversion of gender roles with the medical analysis of this strange new ailment. Today we are likely to read it angrily, as it serves to enforce the most pernicious stereotypes abut women (and not so incidentally, about men)―stereotypes that have proved resilient obstacles to women's advancement. But Fat and Blood supports another reading, a bit more contemporary and certainly more engaged. There are constant arguments that resound across more than the century since they were written.

Genres: Medicine

132 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1900

Reviews

[Hannah Stokes]

What an illuminating read on how horrifically sexist the work of the early psychiatrists were. I read this for my professional life, so there's more in my professional work on it. Let me just say, the utter infantilizing of women he is supposedly treating is disturbing. When you compare his work with Margaret Cleaves it's clear she was the better physician in every respect.

[Eke]

likely the first place candidate of the most fatphobic work of literature i've ever read, holy fuck

[Avis Black]

Rather dated, mildly interesting. His emphasis on rest is still valuable advice, though.