Rats, Lice and History: Being a Study in Biography, Which, After Twelve Preliminary Chapters Indispensable for the Preparation of the Lay Reader, Deals With the Life History of Typhus Fever

331 Pages·2008·5.16 MB·English

by  Grob

Rats,
Lice
and
History
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Lice
and
History
b&
Hans Zinsser
N.
Gerald Grob
With a new introduction by
Transaction Publishers
New Brunswick (U.S.A.) and London (U.K.)
Contents 1
First E-Book Publication 2010
New material this edition copyright © 2008 by Transaction Publishers, New
Brunswick, New Jersey.
All rights reserved under International and Pan-American Copyright
Conventions. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, record-
ing, or any information storage and retrieval system, without prior permission
in writing from the publisher. All inquiries should be addressed to Transaction
Publishers, Rutgers—The State University of New Jersey, 35 Berrue Circle,
Piscataway, New Jersey 08854-8042. www.transactionpub.com
This book is printed on acid-free paper that meets the American National
Standard for Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials.
Library of Congress Catalog Number: 2007043683
E-ISBN: 978-1-4128-1571-0
ISBN: 978-1-4128-0672-5 (paper)
Printed in the United States of America
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Zinsser, Hans, 1878-1940.
Rats, lice, and history / Hans Zinsser.
p. cm.
Originally published: Boston: Printed and Pub. for the Atlantic Monthly
Press by Little, Brown, and Company, 1935.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN 978-1-4128-0672-5 (alk. paper)
1. Typhus fever—History. 2. Rats as carriers of disease—History.
3. Lice and carriers as disease—History. 4. Epidemics—History. I. Title
[DNLM: 1. Lice Infestations—history. 2. Typhus, Epidemic Louse-Borne-
—epidemiology. 3. Disease Outbreaks—history. 4. Lice—microbiology.
5 Lice—parasitology. 6. Rats—microbiology. 7. Rats—parasitology.
WC 605 Z78r 1935a]
RC 199.1.Z54 2008
614.5'262—dc22
2007043683
This book is dedicated in affectionate friendship to
Charles Nicolle, scientist, novelist, and philosopher
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CONTENTS
Introduction to the Transaction Edition ix
.
Preface xxix
In the nature of an explanation and an
.
apology 3
Being a discussion of the relationship be-
.
tween science and art 15
Leading up to the definition of bacteria and
other parasites, and digressing briefly into
the question of the origin of life .
On parasitism in general, and on the neces-
sity of considering the changing nature of
infectious diseases in the historical study
of epidemics
Being a continuation of Chapter IV, but
dealing more particularly with so-called
new diseases and maths ome that have dis-
.
appeared
VI Diseases of the ancient world: a considera-
tion of the epidemic diseases which aflicted
.
the ancient world
VI I A continuation of the consideration of dis-
eases of the ancients, with particular at-
tention to epidemics and the fall of Rome
VIII On the influence of epidemic diseases on po-
litical rznd military history, and on the
.
relative unimportance of generals
CONTENTS
IX On the Louse: we are rzow ready to consider
the environment which has helped to form
.
the character of our subject
X More about the lome: the lzeed for this chap-
ter will be apparent to those who have
entered into the spirit of this biography
XI M w h about rats - a little about mice .
XI1 W ea re at last arriving at the point at which
we can approach the subject of this biog-
.
raphy directly
XI11 In which we consider the birth, childhood,
.
and adolescence of typhus
XIV In which we follow the earliest epidemic ex-
.
ploits of owr disease
XV Young mnhood: the period of early vigor
.
and weld oats
XVI Appraisal of a contemporary and prospects of
.
future education and discipline
INTRODUCTION TO THE TRANSACTION EDITION
WHENR ats, Lice and History appeared in 1935, Hans Zins-
ser was a highly regarded Harvard biologist who had never
written about historical events. Although he had published
poetry under a pseudonym, virtually all of his previous
writings had dealt with infections and immunity and had
appeared either in medical and scientific journals or in book
format. That he is remembered today as the author of a
historical work that has gone through multiple editions and
has received an enthusiastic public reception is a testament
to his wide-ranging interests.
Who was Hans Zinsser? He was born in New York City
in 1878. Both of his parents had migrated to the United States
from Germany and shared the enlightened liberalism charac-
teristic of mid-nineteenth-century Europe. His father, although
poor, became a successful industrial chemist, and he and his
wife created a household in which education and culture were
highly valued. Eight years younger than his three brothers,
young Hans received the kind of care usually lavished on an
only child. A home in rural Westchester County permitted
him to pursue out-of-door activities, and he acquired a pro-
ficiency in horsemanship that was to last his entire life.
For the first ten years of his life he was schooled at home,
where German was the spoken language. He then was sent
x TRANSACTION INTRODUCTION
to a private school in New York City and received a classical
education that emphasized the liberal arts. At an early age
Hans developed a love of poetry that he sustained in later
life even though science was his chosen field; he also was
proficient in several other languages, including French, and
was well versed in literature and philosophy. At the age of
seventeen he entered Columbia College hoping to study
literature and become a writer. In his junior year the Span-
ish-American War broke, and Zinsser enlisted, although
the conflict was over before his unit completed its training.
Upon his return to Columbia he took a course in biology.
Inspired by two of his teachers, he decided to study biol-
ogy. At the end of his junior year he joined a paleontology
expedition to study fossils in the American West, and then
spent another vacation in Paris. In many ways he was more
European than American in his outlook, and throughout
his life read widely in literature and philosophy. He was
one of a small group of classically trained individuals who
subsequently turned to a career in science and medicine.
His interest in biology led him to turn to medicine, per-
haps because of his desire to produce knowledge that served
a practical purpose. In 1899 he graduated from Columbia,
and entered the College of Physicians and Surgeons. While
in medical school he wrote a thesis on the early embryol-
ogy of the mouse and did work in bacteriology. For this he
received an M.A. at the same time that he was awarded his
M.D. degree from Columbia in 1903.
The newly credentialed physician entered his profession
at an exciting time. At the turn of the century, American
medicine was beginning to undergo a profound transfor-