We are delighted to share that The Apothecary’s Wife: The Hidden History of Medicine and How It Became a Commodity by Karen Bloom Gevirtz publishes today with Head of Zeus in the UK. In this revelatory history of medicine, Gevirtz challenges the myths of the triumph of science and instead uncovers the fascinating truth. Drawing on a vast body of archival material, Karen Bloom Gevirtz depicts the extraordinary cast of characters who brought about this transformation. She also explores domestic medicine’s values in responses to modern health crises, such as the eradication of smallpox, and what benefits we can learn from these events. The Apothecary’s Wife is an urgent reminder that centering women’s history offers vital opportunities for shaping the future.
“The Apothecary’s Wife is a stunning history book about the effects of the Scientific Revolution on the practice of medicine.”
Foreword Review
“Economic, scientific and social history combine in this extraordinary, rigorously researched, revisionist account of the crucial role domestic medicine played in the past – and how it might point to a healthier future.”
Paul Lay, author and editor of History Today magazine
“ The Apothecary’s Wife is a timely reminder that the profit-driven commodification of healthcare and medicine in our society is neither natural nor pre-ordained, but rather man-made. Gevirtz’s book uncovers the largely forgotten domestic origins of those sciences, centering women in that history. It’s a story everyone should know.”
Jon Michaud, author of Last Call at Coogan’s: The Life and Death of a Neighborhood Bar
You can find your copy here
Congratulations Karen on this fascinating and important history book!
