Caribbean and the Medical Imagination, 1764-1834: Slavery, Disease and Colonial Modernity

During the Romantic age of exploration and medical and scientific discovery, the Caribbean was known as the "grave of Europeans" due to the rapid spread of disease amongst colonist, enslaved, and indigenous populations. Emily Senior's book explores the cultural impact of this widespread disease and death, focusing on new fields of knowledge such as dermatology, medical geography, and anatomy, and how literature was crucial to the development and circulation of new medical ideas.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 303 pages
Publication date: 29 October 2020
Publisher: Cambridge University Press

During the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, the Caribbean was renowned as the "grave of Europeans." At the height of British colonialism in the region between 1764 and 1834, the rapid spread of disease among colonists, enslaved, and indigenous populations earned the Caribbean a notorious reputation as one of the deadliest places on Earth. Drawing on historical accounts from physicians, surgeons, and travelers, alongside literary works, Emily Senior explores the cultural impact of such widespread disease and death during the Romantic age of exploration and medical and scientific discovery. Focusing on new fields of knowledge such as dermatology, medical geography, and anatomy, Senior demonstrates how literature played a crucial role in the development and circulation of new medical ideas. Moreover, she shows how the Caribbean, as the hub of empire, played a significant role in the changing disciplines and literary forms associated with the transition to modernity.

The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries witnessed a significant transformation in the Caribbean region, as it became known as the "grave of Europeans." During this period, British colonialism exerted its dominance, and the rapid spread of disease among colonists, enslaved, and indigenous populations made the Caribbean one of the deadliest places on Earth. The region's reputation as a place of suffering and death was further exacerbated by the advent of new diseases, such as yellow fever, malaria, and cholera, which took a heavy toll on the local population.

One of the most notable aspects of this period was the cultural impact of disease and death. Physicians, surgeons, and travelers who visited the Caribbean documented their experiences in detailed accounts, providing valuable insights into the medical practices and treatments of the time. These accounts, combined with literary works, helped to shape the prevailing attitudes towards disease and mortality in the region.

During the Romantic age of exploration and medical and scientific discovery, the Caribbean became a hub of knowledge and innovation. Physicians and scientists from Europe and the Americas flocked to the region to study new diseases and develop new treatments. The Caribbean was particularly important in the development of dermatology, medical geography, and anatomy, as these fields of knowledge were closely tied to the region's unique climate and environment.

Literature played a crucial role in the development and circulation of new medical ideas during this period. Writers such as William Shakespeare, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, and Jane Austen were influenced by the diseases and deaths that they witnessed in the Caribbean. Their works often depicted the suffering and mortality that plagued the region, and these depictions helped to raise awareness of the health issues that were prevalent in the Caribbean.

In addition to its cultural impact, the Caribbean also played a significant role in the changing disciplines and literary forms associated with the transition to modernity. The region's history of colonization and slavery had a profound effect on the development of literature and the arts, as writers sought to explore the complexities of race, identity, and power. The Caribbean was also a site of cultural exchange, as people from different parts of the world came together to share ideas and experiences.

One of the most notable examples of this cultural exchange is the work of the French novelist and poet Aimé Césaire. Césaire's novel "A Tempest" was published in 1959, and it was a critical response to the colonialism and slavery that had plagued the Caribbean for centuries. The novel depicted the struggles of the island's inhabitants, and it helped to raise awareness of the political and social issues that were prevalent in the region.

Another important figure in the Caribbean's literary history is the Jamaican poet and writer Louise Bennett. Bennett's work often explored the experiences of women and the African diaspora in the Caribbean. Her novel "The Hero of Our Time" was published in 1939, and it was a pioneering work in the field of Caribbean literature. The novel depicted the struggles of a young woman who is caught between the traditions of her community and the demands of modernity.

In conclusion, the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were a period of immense transformation and suffering in the Caribbean. The region's reputation as the "grave of Europeans" was a reflection of the rapid spread of disease and the high mortality rates that plagued the local population. However, the Caribbean also played a significant role in the development and circulation of new medical ideas and the changing disciplines and literary forms associated with the transition to modernity. Through the work of physicians, surgeons, travelers, and writers, the Caribbean became a hub of knowledge and innovation, and it helped to shape the prevailing attitudes towards disease and mortality in the region.

Weight: 448g
Dimension: 153 x 228 x 20 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781108404198