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The Knife Man: Blood, Body Snatching, and the Birth of Modern Surgery |  | Author: Wendy Moore
Publisher: Broadway
List Price: $14.95
Buy Used: $0.94
as of 3/20/2010 19:48 CDT details
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Seller: river-city-books
Rating:  21 reviews
Sales Rank: 199431
Media: Paperback
Pages: 352
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 8.1 x 5.4 x 0.9
ISBN: 0767916530
Dewey Decimal Number: 609
EAN: 9780767916530
ASIN: 0767916530
Publication Date: September 12, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| • | ISBN13: 9780767916530 | | • | Condition: NEW | | • | Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark. |
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Product Description
In an era when bloodletting was considered a cure for everything from colds to smallpox, surgeon John Hunter was a medical innovator, an eccentric, and the person to whom anyone who has ever had surgery probably owes his or her life. In this sensational and macabre story, we meet the surgeon who counted not only luminaries Benjamin Franklin, Lord Byron, Adam Smith, and Thomas Gainsborough among his patients but also “resurrection men” among his close acquaintances. A captivating portrait of his ruthless devotion to uncovering the secrets of the human body, and the extraordinary lengths to which he went to do so—including body snatching, performing pioneering medical experiments, and infecting himself with venereal disease—this rich historical narrative at last acknowledges this fascinating man and the debt we owe him today.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 21
 A fascinating account of the life of a surgical giant January 27, 2010
Richard Hodgman (Kalamazoo, Michigan USA)
As a retired surgeon I found this biography of anatomist-surgeon John Hunter fascinating. It has a readable style that both informs and entertains as we are led through the dark medical universe of 18th century London, where the average life expectancy was 35 years due to the abysmal public health conditions of the day and a medical system based on blood-letting and other mythologies, and learn of the achievements of this towering figure in the advance of medicine and surgery who is not well known or recognized beyond establishment circles today.
In our modern world of miraculous medical achievements we too often take for granted the scientific approach initially promulgated by John Hunter. Living in London in the mid-1700s this Scottish-born, brilliant yet eccentric surgeon, who was both an ardent naturalist and an innovator of medical practice, was a voice in the wilderness of his day. His common sense approach has been responsible for our emergence from a world of superstition and quackery into today's era of rational science that has increased longevity and relief from so many debilitating maladies.
A man of intense curiosity and self-confidence, Hunter bucked the medical establishment in demanding that objective criteria be the basis of determining the efficacy of medical intervention. Over several decades of intense study and research on human and animal bodies, made possible by the controversial practice of obtaining "material" for his dissection laboratory of fresh corpses from the grave yards of London, he catalogued the gross and minute anatomic principles of the living body and opened the door to a logical understanding of the normal and the pathological features of health and disease. Along the way his work convinced him that the biblical account of history was wrong, and being unafraid to challenge the popular wisdom of his era he did not hesitate to publish his subversive opinions about evolution that preceded Darwin by more than half a century.
As his reputation grew Hunter attracted hundreds of students and disciples to his laboratory, out of whom came many of the most notable medical leaders of the next generation, both in Europe and in America. One of his favorites was Edward Jenner, the discoverer of vaccination, which ultimately eliminated the scourge of smallpox from the face of the earth. Jenner acknowledged his master when he put forth his basic principles for the practice of medicine. These he summarized thusly: first is the priority to look after the patient; next the importance of a continuous quest for knowledge, that is, to read; third is the value of research, not to merely assume, but to "do the experiment"; and finally the responsibility to teach those that follow.
In his successful effort to convince the world of the efficacy of vaccination against smallpox Jenner followed the Hunterian formula of exposition. It begins with the statement of a thesis, then a review of existing knowledge on the subject (in current parlance, a review of the literature), a presentation of an hypothesis, a description of the experiment with "materials and methods", a disclosure of the results with a discussion, and finally a conclusion. This is the scientific method introduced by John Hunter that is used today that has produced the advances in medicine that have so benefitted mankind.
This book deserves wide circulation. It is not only profoundly informative but also produces repeated literary pleasures with each turn of the page for both the expert and lay person alike. We are indebted to Wendy Moore for this fascinating review of the life and achievements
 The Knife Man November 12, 2009
Bitsy Bling (Seattle, WA)
The Knife Man is an exciting biography about John Hunter, one of the most important men contributing to modern medicine. Moore paints a vivid picture of the man who above all else stayed true to experimentations and loyal in his pursuit and dedication to discovery. Although Hunter's task seemed gruesome and invasive, his methods were pivotal in advancing surgical techniques, anatomy and understanding the spreading of disease. While learning about the man, Moore also exposes the dirty underground of body snatching, corruption and exploitation of the poor. Even though this is a biography, Moore weaves details with facts into a dark setting that remains cast in the shadows.
Great Read September 24, 2009
Micah B. Thompson (Atlanta GA)
Picked this up randomly while on the road. Turned out to be an incredible book and one of the best and most intriguing biographies I've ever read.
 Interesting, but too gory. September 1, 2009
N. Williams (Aventura, Florida United States)
interesting book, but found the gory details of the agonizing experiments on live animals too much for me. Couldn't finish the book.
Wow! May 29, 2009
J. Perry
Thank you Wendy Moore for such an intriguing and educational book!
If you liked the book "Stiff" by Mary Roach you'll enjoy this book too. If you like history and especially the history of medicine it should be in your hands now! (and if you're a stubborn smart person you'll like Hunter's character)
John Hunter held the door open for Charles Darwin.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 21
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