Tuberculosis: The Greatest Story Never Told - The Search for the Cure and the New Global Threat - Hardcover

Ryan, Frank

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 1874082006 ISBN 13: 9781874082002

Publisher: Swift Publishers, 1992

Synopsis

Tuberculosis is the greatest killer of all time. In this century and the previous one, it was responsible for the deaths of a thousand million human beings. Half way through the 20th century, people did not believe that a cure would ever be possible, but a few scientists throughout the world each played a part in finding that cure. The discovery changed history, yet that story has never been told. Dr Frank Ryan has gathered together the intimate details of the story of the cure, travelling world-wide and interviewing surviving scientists such as H. Corwin Hinshaw, Albert Schatz, Karl Rosdahl, Ake Hanngrenn, John Crofton and Rollin Hotchkiss. His research also led him to discover the forgotten and previously unpublished diaries of Gerhard Domagk. From the deadly secrets of the disease itself to the tragedies and triumphs that marked their progress, this book tells of the few people who risked their lives against tuberculosis. The last section of the book goes on to tell of the new outbreak of tuberculosis, linked with the AIDS epidemic, that now threatens the world again. "Tuberculosis: The Greatest Story Never Told" is intended for general readers, doctors and scientists alike.

About this title

Review

An important book! (Judged non-fiction book of the year). The New York Times.

As exciting as a detective novel ... Dr Ryan tells an important and moving story. His book should be compulsory reading for those who ignorantly or dishonestly deny the power of science to contribute to human welfare. Anthony Daniels, The Sunday Telegraph. All power to Ryan. This (book) is just what is needed ... indeed fascinating ... The world is very short of people willing and able to help in the struggle against tuberculosis. This book could help. Paul Nunn, New Scientist. Dr Ryan's book is gratifying reading, written at the pace of a mystery thriller and styled as a psychodrama, yet remarkably accurate in scientific detail. Dr Jerome Groopman, Wall Street Journal. I read with absorbing interest, not only because the author tells the story well ... Much in this book testifies to the author's acute perception of the disease's nature. John Keegan, The Daily Telegraph. -- From The Publisher

From the Author

How a tiny group of very unusual people found the cure.
Tuberculosis is the greatest infectious killer in history. In this century and the previous one it killed an estimated thousand million people. Half way through this century, experts and the public alike thought the cure would never be found. In fact it was found by the most unlikely group of heroes, none of them tuberculosis experts and only half of them medically qualified. Their discovery of the cure changed history. You might imagine how surprised I was to discover that their story had never been told. I travelled about the world talking to the people who had played their parts in it - and what an incredible story it proved to be. Lehmann, in Sweden, was a real-life Sherlock Holmes. Domagk in Germany was arrested by the Gestapo. Albert Schatz in America took his work on honeymoon with him. It was a great privilege for me to write this book. Then, while I was writing it, the plague came back to haunt both the developed and developing world.

Edition details

• Publisher: Swift Publishers
• Publication date: 1992
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1874082006
• ISBN 13: 9781874082002
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 482