Book · 2003 · Biography & Autobiography
The Doctors' Plague
Germs, Childbed Fever, and the Strange Story of Ignác Semmelweis
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That's Sherwin Nuland. He's a professor of medicine at Yale. He wrote a book called The Doctor's Plague about the situation at Vienna General.
Stephen Dubner · Freakonomics Radio · Apr 2012 Why people recommend it
The Doctors' Plague by Sherwin B. Nuland is a medical history book that investigates the tragic conditions and groundbreaking epidemiological discoveries at Vienna General Hospital. On Freakonomics Radio episodes 58, What Do Hand-Washing and Financial Illiteracy Have in Common?, and 72, Lottery Loopholes and Deadly Doctors, Stephen Dubner discussed the book. Dubner introduced Sherwin Nuland, a professor of medicine at Yale, and his work while setting up historical discussions regarding childbed fever and hospital safety protocols. The book was utilized to illustrate the harrowing medical realities of the past and the fierce resistance faced by pioneers who advocated for basic sanitation practices like hand-washing among medical personnel. By referencing Nuland's narrative, the podcast explored the broader themes of institutional blindness, scientific progress, and the often difficult path toward accepting life-saving hygiene measures in clinical environments. The text functions as a vital historical account of medical error, dedication, and the eventual triumph of evidence-based practices over entrenched dogma in nineteenth-century European healthcare institutions.
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Stephen Dubner That's Sherwin Nuland. He's a professor of medicine at Yale. He wrote a book called The Doctor's Plague abo… 2
“That's Sherwin Nuland. He's a professor of medicine at Yale. He wrote a book called The Doctor's Plague about the situation at Vienna General.”
“He wrote a book called The Doctor's Plague about the situation at Vienna General Hospital.”