Views of the Jew's body as different, deficient, and a carrier of disease (particularly tuberculosis) were common in Europe in the late 19th-early 20th centuries. Examines the role of these views in Kafka's writings and in his own life (1883-1924), which was plagued by sickliness and tuberculosis. In his writings, Kafka attempted to transcend his Jewishness and his physical limitations, although he knew that such attempts were futile. Discusses effects of the Dreyfus Affair and of blood libel trials on his work. Kafka seemed to typify the contemporary stereotype of the "Jewish patient", who was seen as suffering more from a fear of illness and grasping at every advantage that could be taken. Discusses the history of tuberculosis, its designation in the late 19th century as a Jewish disease, and Kafka's discourse about it.

Our bodies change over time; posture is ambiguous in a number of cultural and disciplinary realms. Your posture can denote you as healthy or ill, elegant or slovenly, beautiful or ugly. Gilman examines the history and sociology of posture: how society views who we are and what we are able to do by how our bodies appear. --

"An examination of the ever-shifting boundary between scientific medicine and quackery. Reaching from the beginnings of scientific medicine in the nineteenth century through to the present, Sander L. Gilman examines the ever-shifting boundary between scientific medicine and quackery, asking if such a fixed boundary can realistically exist within mainstream medical practice. Through detailed case studies – of stomach ulcers and eye disease – as well as the clinical use and abuse of specific therapies, such as acupuncture, Doc or Quack reveals the influence of pharmaceutical companies in determining the nature of medical practice, the pros and cons of increasing specialization, the question of why ‘bad’ science can cure, and the murky issue of ‘race’ and ‘gender’ in scientific medicine. This readable account covers medical practice from the Enlightenment to the present, offering a realistic view of health politics in the usa, Germany and the uk. It’s an essential read for anyone interested in the history and future of scientific medicine in the age of Charles iii and Trump ii." --