Biography, which, alter Twelve Preliminary Chapters Indispensable for the Preparation of the Reader, Deals with the Lite tory of Typhus Fever—By Hans Binases. Routledge, London. 10/6
In many ways this is an extremely fascinating and interesting book. At the same time, when going through the reviewer could not help thinking, not without a certain amount of envy, of a plan adopted by a publisher in regard to his mystery Stories, whereby he sealed some 5 Dages-about one-third of the way through the book—and Invited the reader if no longer Interested to return the book to the publisher with. out breaking the seal.
Tt seems to me that if the publisher of this book had enclosed in a similar.
8 great part of the introductory portion. of the book, which is full doubt of intensely amusing hits. at various American and other sociological writers, and allowed people interested in say—the history of Typhus—to get get on with their sub Jeet, the book would be immensely improved.
On the other hand it would appear from the publisher's description that this somewhat prolonged, and from the reviewer's point of view somewhat laboured "humour, makes. the book of greater interest to public. This, however, is very questionable. It'seems to the reviewer that the original conception of wr {ng the book In the form of toblography of the Typhus germ caught the fancy of the distinguished writer that it caused him to lose Somewhat his sense of balance, and the book would have been much mor: Interesting asa straight example of fan erudite and careful study of the problem of Typhus fever and epidernfes throughout the ages.
It is Impossible to select and quote various passages from the book with. out "making this review somewhat lengthy, On the other hand it is extremely interesting to note that so al wars were won disease and not of martial achievement. Whether the iseaso was Typhus In as many cases author would have one believe, perhaps open to question, for the reviewer can recollect having read as. good case being. made 0 that the Decline and Fall of both Greece and Rome was due to Malaria. hhence it seems that researches into historical epidemics are always com: plicated by the fact that diseases have many symptoms in common, and are so badly described by historians who. are more interested in. the littering details the same time, written by an expert, a readable style, and' can be fully re~ commended to' those persons who desire "an, insight into medical research without undue technicalities, and who wish in addition to Brust up, of for the matter of that, learn for the first time, a large number of hitorieal facts not to be found in as concise a form elsewhere.
Avery interesting suggestion as to why the spree of plague has entirely ceased in cen in Northern countries fs presented on page 03. As far the reviewer is aware, if is the frat time that any suggestion has been made that the spread of plague has ceased owing to rats becoming more domesticated in their habits, and thie suggestion undoubtedly opens up 9 new visie for {he medical man, who may "now be inclined to wonder whether the absence of plague from Shanghai and other places may ie in the contentment of the local rat in the midst of plenty rather than the unusual distribution of the fleas which infest it, which is commonly regarded as one of the contributory causes. In addition one might be inclined to wonder if so-called ratproofed houses, were it possible to make them really efficient, might not produce a roving type of rat and hence a return of plague.
Returning however to the main thesis of the book, one is a little suz-prised to note the attention given to Yyphus to the exclusion of typ! dysentery and certain other diseases Its true they are mentioned casually. from time to time, as being related to the author's hero, namely, the Tybus germ, but from the prominence given fo them one would imagine that in the author's estimation they are purely. secondary. On the other hand, exerence of modern wars—where for the matter of that rats and lice were not conspicuous by their absence—would seem to show that in certain areas the chief scourges of armies in the fold are thie intestinal disorders.
Whilst the description of the plagues which stracked the Crusaders. is necessarily a little vague, one would have thought that it was a fair assumption to make that soldiers ceruited from Northern Europe and Sent. into a semi-tropical climate, would be more likely to be decimated typhoid and dysentery than by TyphUs which one supposes to be more of a cold weather disease.
'Again, the Retreat from Moscow and its' disastrous effects is almost wholly ascribed by the author to the Imeffeetual steps taken against, epideile diseases at that period of history. To the Cobbler there is nothing like service of an army, still it seems a Hittle exaggerated to describe epidemies caused by ruthless, but never~ theless effectual strategy. as the chiot cause of the débicle, and in fact it seems case of putting the cart before the horse. A. starving army in a Innd devoid of shelter is obviously fertile field for epidemics, but would seem more accurate to describe epidemics as being more the result of the tactics of the enemy, rather than the result of inefficient organization. However, as an account of the history of epidemics, particularly amongst armies. this' book is very valuable, even if it does seem to be to some extent spoilt by the introduc tion of wide assumptions not entirely supported by quoted data, and en Irritating habit of wandering along moralizing by-paths. Tt would much Improved by an index, however small, "since owing to. the style adopted it is not. book which can be rend comfortably at a sittine. hor does its table of contents give sufficient hint as to the actual content of the chapters.
Hence the suggestion made both by the reviewer, and to some extent the cluther, that' this is a" biographical narrative on the lines of Tristram Shandy might, T think, have been usefully followed in getting out the table of contents, since it will be membered in books of that era, if not in Tristram Shandy itself, the chap-for of contents consisted largely. descriptive paragraphs under the chapter "heads, which enabled the reader to trace the particular incident he wished to re-read—s.n3.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.