At the Limits of Cure

Bharat Jayram Venkat's book "At the Limits of Cure" explores the history of tuberculosis treatment in India, showing how the concept of cure has evolved from colonial times to the present, where antibiotic miracles and failures have emerged. He suggests that cure can be more than just the end of illness and suffering, and provides a foundation for imagining it otherwise in a world of fading antibiotic efficacy.

\n Format: Paperback / softback
\n Length: 304 pages
\n Publication date: 25 October 2021
\n Publisher: Duke University Press
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In the 1950s, a remarkable demonstration took place in Madras, India, where an international team of researchers proved the effectiveness of antibiotics in treating tuberculosis. However, just half a century later, reports from Mumbai raised concerns about the emergence of drug-resistant strains of the disease. It seemed as if the once curable condition had become incurable. To explore this intriguing question, Bharat Jayram Venkat delves into an anthropological history of tuberculosis treatment in India. Through his lens, Venkat examines what it truly means to be cured and what it signifies when a cure unravels.

At the Limits of Cure unfolds a narrative that spans from the colonial era, characterized by sanatoria, travel cures, and gold therapy, to the postcolonial present, marked by antibiotic miracles and their shortcomings. Venkat juxtaposes the unraveling of cure across diverse settings, including picturesque hill stations, overcrowded prisons, aboard ships, on battlefields, and within research trials and clinical encounters. If cure is commonly perceived as an endpoint, Venkat offers a framework for envisioning cure differently in a world where the efficacy of antibiotics is gradually waning.

In this thought-provoking book, Venkat sheds light on the complex dynamics that shape the treatment and management of tuberculosis in India. He explores the historical, social, and cultural factors that have influenced the development and adoption of different tuberculosis therapies, as well as the challenges and complexities associated with their implementation. Through his meticulous research and engaging storytelling, Venkat provides a valuable contribution to the field of medical anthropology and sheds light on the broader implications of the decline of antibiotic efficacy for our understanding of health, illness, and the human experience.

\n Weight: 450g\n
Dimension: 152 x 229 x 21 (mm)\n
ISBN-13: 9781478014720\n \n