David Livingstone and the Myth of African Poverty and Disease : A Close Examination of His Writing on the Pre-Colonial Era

This study about David Livingstone is different from all other publications about him. Here, Livingstone is not the main topic of interest; the focus of the author is on nutrition and health in pre-colonial Africa and Livingstone is his key informant. David Livingstone and the Myth of African Poverty and Disease is an unusual book. After a close examination of Livingstone's writings and comparative reading of contemporary authors, Sjoerd Rijpma has been able to draw cautious conclusions about the relatively favourable conditions of health and nutrition in southern and central Africa during the pre-colonial period. His findings shed new light on the medical history of Sub-Saharan Africa. The surprise awaiting travellers in and also before 19th century Africa was that the inhabitants of the interior, even the 'slaves', were healthier and better fed than many of their contemporaries in Europe's Industrial Revolution. "An impressive piece of scholarship, truly forensic in its close reading and re-reading of Livingstone's published works and those of other travellers during the same era, clearly a labour of love which has taken years to complete" (Joanna Lewis) This study about David Livingstone is different from all other publications about him. Here, Livingstone is not the main topic of interest; the focus of the author is on nutrition and health in pre-colonial Africa and Livingstone is his key informant. 0This is an unusual book. After a close examination of Livingstone’s writings and comparative reading of contemporary authors, Sjoerd Rijpma has been able to draw cautious conclusions about the relatively favourable conditions of health and nutrition in southern and central Africa during the pre-colonial period. His findings shed new light on the medical history of Sub-Saharan Africa. The surprise awaiting travellers in and also before 19th century Africa was that the inhabitants of the interior, even the ‘slaves’, were healthier and better fed than many of their contemporaries in Europe’s Industrial Revolution Africa's Past: Surprising New Aspects. 'health And Nutrition' Or 'disease And Hunger?' -- David Livingstone In Tropical Africa. 1849-56: Missionary Travels And Researches -- 1858-64: Narrative Of An Expedition -- David Livingstone: A Usable Source Of 'general' Information? -- Unexpected Discoveries In Tropical Africa; A Journey With Blinkers. 1849-56: Missionary Travels And Researches -- 1858-64: 'narrative Of An Expedition' -- 1866-73: Waller's The Last Journals Of David Livingstone -- What David Livingstone Really Discovered In Tropical Africa. By Sjoerd Rijpma. Includes Bibliographical References (pages 533-580) And Index. Livingstone as Source of InformationMalaria, Mal Aria and 'Fever'; The Correlation between Health and Nutrition; What is Meant by 'Resistance'?; Community and Sickness; Assumptions; Part 2 David Livingstone in Tropical Africa; Introduction to Part 2; Chapter 2 1849-56: Missionary Travels and Researches; Sojourn and Travels in Southern Africa (1841-49), The MissionaryTravels (1849-53) and the Trans-Africa Journey (1853-56).A Paraphrase of a Number of Aspects of the Book; A Short Historical Outline; The First Ten Years in Southern Africa; The Kololo; To Luanda (1853-54); Luanda (1854) Back to Linyanti (1854-55)From Linyanti to Quelimane (1855-56); Reflections on Livingstone's Missionary Travels; Differences between Book and Journals; Missionary Travels Compared; Preparations for the Zambezi Expedition; Chapter 3 1858-64: Narrative of an Expedition; Exploration of Rivers and Lakes; Return to Linyanti with the Kololo. A Paraphrase of Various Aspects of the Second Book; Investigating the Zambezi; Exploring the River Shire and Lake Malawi; Intermezzo: A Journey on Foot from Mozambique to Linyanti and Back (1860); The Universities' Mission; The Ruvuma Explorations Sojourn and Travels in Southern Africa (1841-49), the Missionary Travels (1849-53), and the Trans-Africa Journey (1853-56). A Paraphrase with the Emphasis on Health and NutritionThe Kalahari Desert and Lake Ngami; The Kololo; To Luanda (1853-54); Luanda (1854), and Back to Linyanti (1854-55); From Linyanti to Quelimane (1855-56); Reflections: Health and Nutrition in Missionary Travels; 'Malnutrition'; Breastfeeding, Sexual Abstinence and Birth Spacing; Health and Sickness; Nutrition and Food Production; With the Bushmen; With the Kololo and in the Barotse Valley The End of the ExpeditionReflections on Narrative of an Expedition; Narrative of an Expedition Compared; Once Again to Africa; Chapter 4 David Livingstone: A Usable Source of 'General' Information?; David Livingstone's 'Inaccuracies, Distortions and Omissions' inAnother Perspective; Scientific Reliability; Part 3 Unexpected Discoveries in Tropical Africa; A Journey with Blinkers; Introduction to Part 3; Chapter 5 1849-56: Missionary Travels and Researches On the Way to Luanda, and then to Quelimane