Dr. Mütter’s Marvels (Avery Books; Sept. 8; Paperback), by Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz, was included in seven “Best of 2014” lists including NPR's Science Friday, The Guardian, and Library Journal.
Dr. Mütter was a revolutionary doctor and one
of the country’s first proponents of patient care, anesthesia, and
sterilization. As a medical innovator, Mütter believed in empathy,
avoiding pain, and sterile procedures for his patients despite the
resistance of his peers. He also became famous for helping the
physically deformed and obtained a massive collection of medical
abnormalities which is now on display at the Mütter Museum. Although
this is a true story, it reads like fiction with details of surgeries,
his extravagant style and life at the turn of the century.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cristin O’Keefe Aptowicz is a New York Times bestselling nonfiction writer and poet. She has written six books of poetry (including Dear Future Boyfriend, Hot Teen Slut, Working Class Represent, Oh, Terrible Youth and Everything is Everything) as well as the nonfiction books, the >Dr. Mutter’s Marvels: A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovation at the Dawn of Modern Medicine, which made 7 National “Best Books of 2014″ lists (including Amazon, The Onion’s AV Club, NPR’s Science Fridays and the UK newspaper The Guardian, among others) and Words In Your Face: A Guided Tour Through Twenty Years of the New York City Poetry Slam.
Cristin’s most recent awards include the ArtsEdge Writer-In-Residency
at the University of Pennsylvania (2010-2011), a National Endowment for
the Arts Fellowship in Poetry (2011) and the Amy Clampitt Residency
(2013).
Her second book of nonfiction, Dr. Mutter’s Marvels: A True Tale of Intrigue and Innovation at the Dawn of Modern Medicine, was released by Gotham Books (Penguin) in Fall 2014, debuted at #7 on the New York Times Bestseller List for Books about Health and would stay on it for three months.
Of Interest in the book:
· Pre and Post operative care Mütter
personally knew how it felt to be a patient in a hospital due to his
illnesses as a child, so patient care became one of his top priorities.
He was known for being extra caring toward his patients. He spent an
unusual (for his time) amount of time preparing his patients, both
physically and mentally, for their upcoming surgeries. He also worked to
establish post-operative beds for his patients so they weren’t
immediately sent him after undergoing physically traumatic surgeries. · Plastic Surgery Mütter was essentially one of America’s first plastic surgeons. He came up with a “flap” technique - taking healthy skin and grafting it to the impacted areas - for relieving burn victims and repairing other disfigurements.
· Sterilizing Medical Tools Mütter was also one of the first few doctors who held the belief that disease could be spread by using unclean hands and tools during surgery. For doctors at that time, cleanliness was seen as “uppity” and a blood-soaked coat and hands were matters of pride from a job well done, not a safety violation.
· Anesthesia Mütter was on of the few doctors who immediately supported the practice of using ether as an anesthetic. Many of his peers opposed the new “fad” and viewed it as dangerous.
· Women’s Health Some strange medical techniques were used in women’s medicine during Mütter’s time: leeches inserted into the uterus, underwear filled with hay for menstruation and others
Author Website: http://aptowicz.com
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