Page 79 - Winter2014

All Thumbs Book Reviews

Mad in America: insanity” in the 1890s was commonly “cured”
Bad Science, Bad Medicine, and the Enduring by removing the uterus or amputating parts of
Mistreatment of the Mentally Ill the female anatomy.
by Robert Whitaker Mentally ill patients were also treated with
Basic Books, 2nd edition powerful purges, emetics (to induce vomiting),
mercury and blistering of the skull with mustard
Well written and researched, Mad in powders. Injections with such things as animal
America is the first of two books that journalist parts, sheep extract, horse serum, arsenic, strych-
Robert Whitaker has written about mental ill- nine, toxic chemicals, and malaria serum were
ness. Whitaker has won numerous awards for his common treatments. Removing various body
work on medicine and science. Here his graphic parts and teeth because of “hidden infections”
description of the treatment of the mentally ill caused death in nearly 43 percent of patients.
from the late 1700s up until the present day is Submersing the patient in waterfalls, pum-
riveting, spell-binding, and sometimes unbeliev- meling him with painful blasts of water, dropping
able. him or her into a deep tub of cold water (“Bath
Back in the 1700s the mentally ill were of Surprise”), near drowning in the “Chinese
institutionally housed in unheated, dingy cells, Temple,” and the use of swinging chairs were
confined in chains, and displayed for public considered effective “medical” treatments. Co-
amusement. These “lunatics,” “brutes,” and pious bloodletting, as well as creating wounds
“wild beasts” needed to be subdued and kept and keeping them open for months to induce a
fearful of their captors. permanent discharge (to “let out” the insanity)
Private asylums in England, which were were also commonly employed.
owned by doctors, were known to be places Yet, despite the inhumanity of these early
where husbands could get rid of annoying wives procedures, the “darkest era in the treatment of
or relatives. Physicians became the sole arbiters the mentally ill” was the period between 1900
to determine the diagnosis of insanity and some and 1950. The eugenics movement arising in the
became quite wealthy at their “practice.” The late 1800s set the stage for the development of
number of madhouses soon doubled and insanity further inhumane psychiatric treatments. Eugen-
became a common condition. Women were often ics proponents judged the mentally ill as “societal
the victim of “asylum medicine,” and “female wastage” and the product of a “defective germ

EMR. You can call an electrician to fix wiring that may not be all they are cracked up to be. Filters that plug into outlets
flaws. You can change from wireless Internet generally don’t work and can make things worse. Installing shielding in
to cabled connections. Get rid of fluorescent a room can work if it is done right. It is hard for an amateur to do right
lights and use old-fashioned incandescent bulbs and if it isn’t, it may amplify the radiation in the room. Singer includes
if you can still get them, or use LED bulbs. You websites that help you sort out what works and what doesn’t.
can give up some or all of your electronic toys. The suggestions for what government agencies should conscionably
I know some people would be more offended and justly do are also good. However, since our government is bought and
by this advice than if I had suggested they drop controlled by big corporations, I personally am not highly optimistic that
dead and their dog, too. Yet all I can say is if you things will change quickly there. This is one case where I would be happy
value your toys more than your health, you will to see someone prove me wrong. If you feel inspired to do that I truly wish
have health consequences to contend with one you luck. I will give you a free thumbs up for that. This book also gets a
day. That is your choice. t h u m b s U P .
Singer also warns about popular solutions Review by Tim Boyd
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