Allergy: The History of a Modern Malady - Softcover

Jackson, Mark

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1861893337 ISBN 13: 9781861893338

Publisher: Reaktion Books, 2007

Synopsis

It attacks through foods, animals, and innumerable chemical combinations. It is among the most common and potentially lethal afflictions known. It is the allergy, the subject of Mark Jackson’s fascinating chronicle.
Jacksoninvestigates how the allergy became the archetypal “disease of civilization,” as it transformed from a fringe malady of the wealthy into one of the greatest medical disorders of the twentieth century. Jackson also examines the social and economic impact of the allergy, as it catalyzed a new health-conscious culture and created the wealth of some of the largest companies in the world today. Whether cats, crabgrass, or cheese is the source of your daily misery, Jackson’s engaging and in-depth account is an invaluable addition to every bookshelf.

About this title

About the Author:

Mark Jackson is professor of the history of medicine and director for the Centre for Medical History at the University of Exeter. He is the author of several books, including The New-Born Child Murder and The Borderland of Imbecility.

From Publishers Weekly:

When Clemens von Pirquet introduced the term allergy in 1906, many experts questioned whether one word could cover a whole constellation of sensitivities. As Jackson demonstrates, the term eventually gained acceptance, but its meaning remains slippery. The beauty of Jackson's study is his combination of the cultural and social with the medical, the result of which is a masterful overview of the evolution of allergy as a public health problem. Including detailed analyses of the debates over the role of the immune system in allergy and the different treatments for hypersensitivity, Jackson simultaneously surveys images of allergy in pop culture-from poet Ann Sexton to cyberpunk science fiction author Jeff Noon-as well as the term's common currency as shorthand for intense dislike (being "allergic" to housework). Tracing allergy from a malady of the elite to a global pandemic, Jackson explores theories behind the surge in allergies, including the rise in industrial toxins and unhealthy home and work conditions. Some readers may find Jackson's style dry, and his analysis of medical debates may go over some heads, but his book provides a comprehensive look at allergies as a phenomenon in culture, politics and science.
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About this edition

• Publisher: Reaktion Books
• Publication date: 2007
• ISBN 10: 1861893337
• ISBN 13: 9781861893338
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 288