Great Medical Disasters

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"Great Medical Disasters" is a collection of approximately fifty episodes where doctors are not portrayed as saviors but often find themselves in unenviable positions. Richard Gordon presents a catalog of medical disasters, or rather, failures. He recounts unsuccessful surgical operations, including truly quack procedures, and details the infamous story of the British war machine's attempt at conducting biological warfare. Readers will learn what can happen to patients when doctors succumb to premature enthusiasm for unverified discoveries and decide to test them in practice. On the other end of the spectrum are those doctors who have refused to accept scientific knowledge, leading to the unnecessary deaths of countless patients. The book discusses unscientific treatments for scurvy, genital mutilation of mothers during childbirth, mismanaged typhoid epidemics, premature declarations of death for patients who later lived for many more years, the whims of vasectomy, and botched cosmetic procedures on patients. Gordon's expertise allows him to depict these events with a sober, humorous, and witty approach, showcasing his deep knowledge and education in the history of medicine.