Fat and Blood

Mitchell, S. Weir (Silas Weir), 1829-1914Project Gutenberg · United StatesDec 2019

3.6

Word count: 266K words
Chapters: 27

Summary

Project Gutenberg was the first provider of free electronic books, or eBooks. Michael Hart, founder of Project Gutenberg, invented eBooks in 1971 and his memory continues to inspire the creation of eBooks and related technologies today.Fat and Blood by S. Weir MitchellAuthor: Mitchell, S. Weir (Silas Weir), 1829-1914,Language: English, Class: RC: Medicine: Internal medicine, Release Date: Jul 7, 2005

Editor's review

Fat and Blood is a nineteenth-century medical work by the American physician S. Weir Mitchell, classified under internal medicine. Its value today lies not in applying its diagnostic and therapeutic advice, but in reading it as a text in the history of medicine and of ideas about the body: it shows how nineteenth-century physicians discussed the relationships among weight, blood, nutrition, and nervous condition, and how clinical observation and rest cures were expressed at the time. The book carries clear period limitations, and some of its ideas are far removed from contemporary medical consensus, so it is not suitable as a reference for self-diagnosis or treatment. Its reading value is historical context: readers interested in the history of medicine, the history of the body, and Victorian medical culture can trace doctor-patient relations, gendered clinical discourse, and ideas of convalescence. The Project Gutenberg edition is easy to search by keyword and suitable for topical excerpts and classroom discussion, but should be paired with secondary scholarship to correct one's understanding.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Researchers or course readers in the history of medicine, the history of the body, and Victorian medical culture
Readers in the humanities interested in nineteenth-century clinical writing, rest cures, and doctor-patient discourse
University teachers and students who need the original English text for topical excerpts or classroom discussion
Readers able to read old medical texts with historical critical awareness and not treat them as treatment guides

Not a good fit for

General readers seeking contemporary nutrition, blood, or weight-management advice
Medical professionals needing evidence-based guidelines or clinical decision references
Readers prone to mistaking old medical views for effective therapies and lacking critical discernment
General readers expecting accessible health popular science and light reading

Reading tips

Begin with the introduction or opening chapters to clarify the author's questions and historical context before moving to specific cases and arguments.
Prepare a glossary recording what key terms such as weight, blood, and nervous condition meant in the period, avoiding direct application of modern concepts.
After each chapter, write a short summary of historical context: what clinical problem the author was addressing and what observational evidence was used.
Read alongside a work on medical history or Victorian social history to help correct one's understanding of the book's views.

About the publisher

Project Gutenberg United States · Founded in 1971

Project Gutenberg is a digital publishing project focused on public-domain ebooks. Its publishing direction centers on classic literary works whose copyright has expired, covering genres such as poetry, drama, fiction, and epic. Representative books include Lyrical Ballads by Wordsworth and Coleridge, Proust's Du côté de chez Swann, Shakespeare's Macbeth and The Complete Works of William Shakespeare, Homer's The Iliad, Dante's La Divina Comèdia: Purgatòri, Cervantes's The History of Don Quixote, Volume 2, and Grahame's The Wind in the Willows. Its author resources consist mainly of classic Western writers such as Wordsworth, Proust, Shakespeare, Homer, Dante, Cervantes, Grahame, and Tolstoy. Its publishing feature is the provision of freely accessible ebooks in EPUB and Kindle formats; it is not a traditional publisher, and publicly available information is limited.

FAQ

Can this book guide current diet or treatment?

No. It is a nineteenth-century medical work whose ideas and practices carry clear period limitations and differ greatly from contemporary evidence-based medicine. It is suitable as material for the history of medicine, not as a basis for self-diagnosis, nutritional advice, or treatment. If you have health concerns, consult a qualified contemporary medical professional.

Can readers without a medical background understand it?

Yes, but expectations should be adjusted. The book involves nineteenth-century clinical terminology and therapeutic discourse, some of it expressed differently from modern medicine. It is advisable first to learn the basic medical background of the author's era, note unfamiliar terms, and focus on the style of argument and historical context rather than fully grasping clinical details.

What academic category does this book belong to?

According to the available information, the book is classified under RC, the internal medicine category of medicine, and its language is English. It is a historical medical text, not a contemporary clinical manual. It should be read within the context of the history of medicine and the cultural history of the body, with attention to its period discourse rather than as a source of current medical knowledge.

Does this electronic edition include annotations or an introduction?

According to the available information, this is an electronic text released by Project Gutenberg, typically designed for reading and searching rather than necessarily including detailed scholarly annotations, an editor's introduction, or textual collation. For research, it is advisable to compare it with secondary literature in medical history and authoritative editions in order to understand its terminology, figures, and historical background.

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About the author

Mitchell, S. Weir (Silas Weir), 1829-1914 Author

S. Weir Mitchell (Silas Weir Mitchell, 1829–1914) was an American author whose works span novels, medical essays and popular health writing; eleven of his titles are held in this collection. His fiction often draws on history and local life: Hugh Wynne, Free Quaker reflects American society around the War of Independence through a Quaker's experience, while The Red City centers on Philadelphia during President Washington's second term; Westways: A Village Chronicle and When All the Woods Are Green lean toward rural narrative. His medical background shapes essays such as Fat and Blood, Doctor and Patient and Wear and Tear, which address fatigue, rest and the doctor-patient relationship in a practical style. His writing combines historical storytelling with medical-humanist observation, giving it a distinct place between popular reading and literature. Public information is limited, so biographical details are omitted.