Product Description

Rabies was a constant threat in Victorian Britain. It gripped the popular imagination, not least because its human form - hydrophobia - produced the worst of all possible deaths with the mind and body out of control. This book explores the changing understanding of rabies amongst veterinarians, doctors, animal welfare campaigners, state officials, politicians and the public. We also tell the story of how rabies was eradicated around 1900 and kept out of the country throughout the Twentieth-century.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #403897 in Books
• Published on: 2007-10-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 256 pages

About the Author
NEIL PEMBERTON is a Research Associate in the Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine and Wellcome Unit for the History of Medicine at the University of Manchester, UK. He works on the history of deaf education and deaf people in Victorian England. He is currently writing a book on the history of noise in the Twentieth century. MICHAEL WORBOYS is Director of the Centre for the History of Science, Technology and Medicine and Wellcome Unit for the History of Medicine at the University of Manchester, UK. He has worked on the history of science and imperialism, tropical

Customer Reviews

Fascinating history of a terrible scourge
The people in countries where rabies has been eradicated tend to forget what it's like living where bites and scratches from commonly encountered animals can bring mortal fear of a horrendous death. As indicated by the title, this book describes the history of rabies in the UK. I found the mix of social, veterinary-scientific and regulatory history provided what felt like the complete picture - certainly much more than a textbook account. The writing is scholarly but lucid and relatively concise. I'd be very keen to see the author tackle another disease in a similar way. Excellent.