Mad Dogs and Other New Yorkers: Rabies, Medicine, and Society in an American Metropolis

EPISODE · Aug 26, 2025 · 20 MIN

Mad Dogs and Other New Yorkers: Rabies, Medicine, and Society in an American Metropolis

from Book Shelter · host Book Shelter

Explores the social history of rabies in New York City during the mid-nineteenth to early twentieth centuries, analyzing how the disease interacted with urban society and medical practices. It examines public perceptions of "mad dog" scares, the cultural anxieties surrounding human-animal relationships, and the evolution of disease diagnosis and prevention, including the introduction of Pasteurian vaccination. The text also discusses the prevailing folk remedies for rabies, such as madstones and vapor baths, and the ongoing debates over medical authority, public health, and animal control in a rapidly growing metropolis. Ultimately, the source reveals how rabies shaped understandings of suffering, death, and the ethical dilemmas of the era.You can listen and download our episodes for free on more than 10 different platforms:https://linktr.ee/book_shelterGet the Book now from Amazon:https://www.amazon.com/Mad-Dogs-Other-New-Yorkers-ebook/dp/B07PY99GJ3?&linkCode=ll1&tag=cvthunderx-20&linkId=6665929204eca19a01d2b98cc01a5457&language=en_US&ref_=as_li_ss_tlProduced by Podcai Studio:https://www.podcaistudio.com/

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Mad Dogs and Other New Yorkers: Rabies, Medicine, and Society in an American Metropolis

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