Medical Malpractice in Nineteenth-Century America : Origins and Legacy / Kenneth De Ville.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Ville, Kenneth De, Author.

Series:

American social experience series ; 19.

The American Social Experience ; 20

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Malpractice--history--United States.

History, 19th Century--United States.

Physicians--Malpractice--United States--History--19th century.

Physicians.

Medical Subjects:

Malpractice--history--United States.

History, 19th Century--United States.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (338 p.)

Place of Publication:

New York, NY : New York University Press, [1990]

Language Note:

English

Summary:

Highly readable . . . . interdisciplinary history of a high order.-- The Historian Well-written and superbly documented . . . . Both physicians and lawyers will find this book useful and fascinating.-- Journal of the American Medical Association This is the first book-length historical study of medical malpractice in 19th-century America and it is exceedingly well done . . . . The author reveals that, beginning in the 1840s, Americans began to initiate malpractice lawsuits against their physicians and surgeons. Among the reasons for this development were the decline in the belief in divine providence, increased competition between physicians and medical sects, and advances in medical science that led to unrealistically high expectations of the ability of physicians to cure . . . . This book is well written, often entertaining and witty, and is historically accurate, based on the best secondary, as well as primary sources from the time period. Highly recommended.-- Choice Adept at not only traditional historical research but also cultural studies, the author treats the reader to an intriguing discussion of how 19th-century Americans came truly to see their bodies differently . . . . a sophisticated new standard in the field of malpractice history. -- The Journal of the Early RepublicBy far the best compilation and analysis of early medical malpractice cases I have seen . . . . this excellently crafted study is bound to be of interest to a large number of readers.-- James C. Mohr, author of Abortion in America: The Origins and Evolution of a National Policy

Contents:

Frontmatter

Contents

Illustrations

Preface

Acknowledgments

CHAPTER 1. Before the Flood, 1790-1835

CHAPTER 2. The Deluge, 1835-1865

CHAPTER 3. Schools for Scandal

CHAPTER 4. "The Expression of a Wellmade Man"

CHAPTER 5. Community, Providence, and the Social Construction of Legal Action

CHAPTER 6. "Dangerous Ground for a Surgeon"

CHAPTER 7. The Road Not Taken: Medical Malpractice and the Path of the Common Law

CHAPTER 8. The More Things Change . . . : Medical Malpractice, 1865-1900

CHAPTER 9. Conclusion

Abbreviations

APPENDIXES

Notes

Bibliography

Index

Notes:

Description based upon print version of record.

Includes bibliographical references (p. 287-313) and index.

Description based on online resource; title from PDF title page (publisher's Web site, viewed 23. Jun 2020)

ISBN:

0-8147-2099-4

0-585-07189-6

OCLC:

782877910