Dr. Mutter's Marvels: A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovation at the Dawn of Modern Medicine

A book worth reading by medical science students.

Really great book interesting & fascinating you can dip in and out of it!

Saggio molto interessante sulla vita del famoso chirurgo. Avevo visto il museo e volevo informarmi meglio. Interessante sopratutto come spaccato di vita e costumi dell'epoca. La chirurgia era un campo ancora ignoto e lui è stato davvero un pioniere. A chi interessa l'argomento questo libro piacerà molto. Scritto in maniera semplice e comprensibile sebbene l'argomento trattato. Ben sviluppato, descrive anche tutto il background famiglia/colleghi/abitudini mediche/innovazioni del periodo. da leggere

I was so disappointed with this book (or half a book). There was only 53-54% of the book and the rest was references (just duplicating what was already written).

I purchased this thinking it might be an interesting read on an eight-hour train trip. What a fantastic purchase! Not only is this a well-researched and well-endnoted book about history; I was also quite impressed with the almost poetic feeling of the writing (and then I found out more about the literary background of the author and noted that she actually does have quite a background in poetry!). I can happily say that I was sucked into this book before I had finished even ten pages of it. I loved how the author weaves the story of Dr. Mutter, a truly inspiring and just plain interesting man, in with a detailed account of medical history itself and also backstories on so many of his colleagues. There is a small amount of speculating about people in order to fill in gaps from the historical record, but these are not enormous leaps and are probably pretty close to spot-on. There isn't a lot available on private lives of many people from this period, in terms of primary sources, so one does have to do a bit of speculating in order to flesh out a story. I could perhaps have done without some of the lengthy physical descriptions of people, which got a bit whimsical at times, but I did understand her motive behind such descriptions, in that she was trying to draw people in more. It was nice, too, to read a work of history about the nineteenth century that was more upbeat even when discussing so many downsides and problems with the era. I get tired of all the negative works that seem to gain such publicity. This was a book that I as a professional can appreciate, but also one that I can recommend to students as something to entice them into a love -- or at least appreciation -- for history. Also, I would be remiss if I did not mention the illustrations -- they are so spellbindingly grotesque/riveting to look at! (I may have permanently scarred some colleagues by forcing them to look at the image of "phossy jaw"!) I also really appreciated how responsible Ms. Aptowicz was in documenting where she found her information -- I would like to do further research of my own after reading her work and this was of great help to me. A particular fault that I often find when non-historians write history is the lack of proper documentation of their sources or shoddy research (i.e. research limited to only secondary sources); however, such was not the case here.

"Dr. Mutter's Marvels" is a fantastic book about an incredible man. I love to read about medical history and the stories of the institutions and physicians of Philadelphia are among the most interesting. Dr. Thomas Mutter overcame a tragic childhood to rise to prominence in Philadelphia in the early 1800s. With the limitations of the era (no electricity, no anesthesia, no cars, no sterile field in the operating room, rampant disease and high deaths rates) Mutter nonetheless became an exceptional surgeon who demonstrated compassion, not typical of the time. The author stresses his dedication, his innovations, his curiosity. He learned in France about plastic surgery and brought advanced techniques to the US. He also was the first professor to use a Socratic method in the lecture hall, to suggest that patients need to stay overnight for observation after surgery, and the first physician in Philadelphia to administer ether. He had many students, some of whom went on to become famous in their own right... all documented in the book as a testament to Mutter. The story has conflict when Dr. Charles D. Meigs, chair of obstetrics, butted heads with Mutter over many policies and philosophies. This conflict persisted right through to Mutter's death, though Mutter would be fondly remembered and respected, while Meig's star faded. And Mutter is remembered daily, by those who visit his museum in Philadelphia, where I am headed in three days! I've read this book before, and visited the museum before, and joyfully revisited the book again to prepare. The downside of the book? While I love the subject, the author's passion and enthusiasm, and details about Mutter and all the people he influences and rubbed shoulders with, the writing style is fine but not great. For example, the author dwells far too long and often on how Mutter dressed, even comparing his style with Meigs' , even as almost a comparison of their personality. Conversations are invented, almost nothing is documented, although many statements are quoted--from where we don't know. And there are some lapses--"materia medica" is defined two different ways in two different sections, etc. There's a ton of hero worship, which is understandable but it gets tiresome. Not enough criticism for me to give it anything less than four stars, but enough to detract a bit from the story. Read it! I so appreciate this doctor and am motivated by him!