List of Figures Acknowledgments Introduction 1. Expecting Providence 2. Meanings of Depopulation 3. Frontiers of Smallpox 4. Using Smallpox 5. Race to Extinction 6. Impossible Responsibilities 7. Pursuit of Efficacy 8. Experiments at Many Farms Epilogue and Conclusions Notes Index
Rationalizing Epidemics is a superb work of scholarship. By contextualizing his deep and thorough research in original documents within the larger literature on the history and nature of epidemics, Jones has produced a profound account of how epidemics are social and cultural phenomena, not just biological. This book will be of great interest to scholars of American Indian history and the history of medicine, and with its engaging and accessible writing style, it promises to be a book that students and the general public will appreciate as well. -- Nancy Shoemaker, University of Connecticut An imaginative and insightful approach to health and disease among American Indians, Rationalizing Epidemics represents a remarkable accomplishment. The breadth of reading and depth of research, the subtlety used in explaining each case, and the original approach to the material are altogether impressive. Jones's book undoubtedly will be a major contribution to American history. -- Daniel H. Usner, Jr., Vanderbilt University
David S. Jones, Ph.D., M.D., is A. Bernard Ackerman Professor of the Culture of Medicine in the Department of the History of Science, Harvard University.
Rationalizing Epidemics is a superb work of scholarship. By
contextualizing his deep and thorough research in original
documents within the larger literature on the history and nature of
epidemics, Jones has produced a profound account of how epidemics
are social and cultural phenomena, not just biological. This book
will be of great interest to scholars of American Indian history
and the history of medicine, and with its engaging and accessible
writing style, it promises to be a book that students and the
general public will appreciate as well.
*Nancy Shoemaker, University of Connecticut*
An imaginative and insightful approach to health and disease among
American Indians, Rationalizing Epidemics represents a remarkable
accomplishment. The breadth of reading and depth of research, the
subtlety used in explaining each case, and the original approach to
the material are altogether impressive. Jones's book undoubtedly
will be a major contribution to American history.
*Daniel H. Usner, Jr., Vanderbilt University*
The book is thoroughly researched with an impressive list of
references. The style is straightforward and clear. The author's
efforts are worthy and the book is enthusiastically
recommended...Readers will find this book enjoyable and
informative.
*Journal of the American Medical Association*
This is an important contribution that deserves careful
reading...Finely written, this well-constructed argument will
reward both advanced students and the general public interested in
the theme.
*American Historical Review*
The 50-plus pages of endnotes in Jones’s Rationalizing Epidemics
amply illustrate the exhaustive data collection and primary-source
review involved in the construction of this sweeping and persuasive
work. His thought-provoking use of a wealth of archival evidence to
support an explanatory model with regard to the meanings of
catastrophic epidemics among Native Americans sets a new standard
for historical research and interpretation.
*Current Anthropology*
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