The Risks of Medical Innovation: Risk Perception and Assessment in Historical Context (Routledge Studies in the Social History of Medicine)

The risks involved in introducing new drugs and devices are amongst the most discussed issues of modern medicine. Presenting a new way of thinking about these issues, this volume considers risk and medical innovation from a social historical perspective, and studies specific cases of medical innovation, including X-rays, the pill and Thalidomide, in their respective contexts. International cases are examined through the lens of a particular set of shared questions - highlighting differences, similarities, continuities and changes, and offering a historical sociology of risk. Particularly important is the re-conceptualization of dangers in terms of risk - a numerical and probabilistic approach allowing for seemingly objective and value-neutral decisions. Read together, these papers add to our understanding of the current debate about risk and safety by providing a comparative background to the discussion, as well as a set of generally applicable criteria for analyzing and evaluating the contemporary issues surrounding medical innovation. Book Cover......Page 1 Half-Title......Page 2 Series Title......Page 3 Title......Page 6 Copyright......Page 7 Contents......Page 8 Illustrations......Page 10 Tables......Page 11 Contributors......Page 12 Preface......Page 15 1. Risk and medical innovation: a historical perspective......Page 18 2. To assess and to improve: practitioners’ approaches to doubts linked with medical innovations 1720-1920......Page 35 3. Anaesthesia and the evaluation of surgical risk in mid-nineteenth-century Britain......Page 52 4. Redemption, danger and risk: the history of anti-bacterial chemotherapy and the transformation of tuberculin......Page 66 5. “As safe as milk or sugar water”: perceptions of the risks and benefits of the BCG vaccine in the 1920s and 1930s in France and Germany......Page 83 6. From danger to risk: the perception and regulation of X-rays in Switzerland, 1896-1970......Page 104 7. The population as patient: Alice Stewart and the controversy over low-level radiation in the 1950s......Page 125 8. To treat or not to treat: drug research and the changing nature of essential hypertension......Page 140 9. Hormones at risk: cancer and the medical uses of industrially-produced sex steroids in Germany, 1930-1960......Page 153 10. Risk assessment and medical authority in operative fracture care in the 1960s and 1970s......Page 172 11. Assessing the risk and safety of the pill: maternal mortality and the pill......Page 187 12. Addressing uncertainties: the conceptualization of brain death in Switzerland 1960-2000......Page 203 13. Risk on trial: the interaction of innovation and risk in cancer clinical trials......Page 221 14. BioRisk: interleukin-2 from laboratory to market in the United States and Germany......Page 237 15. The redemption of Thalidomide: standardizing the risk of birth defects......Page 255 Name Index......Page 273 Subject Index......Page 279 Risk And Medical Innovation : A Historical Perspective / Thomas Schlich -- To Assess And To Improve : Practitioners' Approaches To Doubts Linked With Medical Innovations 1720-1920 / Ulrich Tröhler -- Anaesthesia And The Evaluation Of Surgical Risk In Mid-nineteenth Century Britain / Ian Burney -- Redemption, Danger And Risk : The History Of Anti-bacterial Chemotherapy And The Transformation Of Tuberculin / Christoph Gradmann -- As Safe As Milk Or Sugar Water : Perceptions Of Risks And Benefits Of The Bcg Vaccine In The 1920s And 1930s In France And Germany / Christian Bonah. From Danger To Risk : The Perception And Regulation Of X-rays In Switzerland 1896-1970 / Monika Dommann -- The Population As Patient : Alice Stewart And The Controversy Over Low-level Radiation In The 1950s / Sarah Dry -- To Treat Or Not To Treat : Drug Research And The Changing Nature Of Essential Hypertension / Carsten Timmermann -- Hormones At Risk : Cancer And The Medical Uses Of Industrially-produced Sex Steroids In Germany, 1930-1960 / Jean-paul Gaudillière -- Risk Assessment And Medical Authority In Operative Fracture Care In The 1960 And 1970s / Thomas Schlich -- Assessing The Risk And Safety Of The Pill : Maternal Mortality And The Pill / Lara Marks Addressing Uncertainties : The Conceptualisation Of Brain Death In Switzerland 1960-2000 / Silke Bellanger And Aline Steinbrecher -- Risk On Trial : The Interaction Of Innovation And Risk In Cancer Clinical Trials / Peter Keating And Alberto Cambrosio -- Biorisk : Interleukin-2 From Laboratory To Market In The United States And Germany / Arthur Daemmrich -- The Redemption Of Thalidomide : Standardizing The Risk Of Birth Defects / Stefan Timmermans And Valerie Leiter. Edited By Thomas Schlich And Ulrich Tröhler. Includes Bibliographical References And Indexes. Risk and medical innovation: a historical perspective / Thomas Schlich To assess and to improve: practitioners' approaches to doubts linked with medical innovations 1720-1920 / Ulrich Tröhler Anaesthesia and the evaluation of surgical risk in mid-nineteenth century Britain / Ian Burney Redemption, danger, and risk: the history of anti-bacterial chemotherapy and the transformation of tuberculin / Christoph Gradmann "As safe as milk or sugar water": perceptions of risks and benefits of the BCG vaccine in the 1920s and 1930s in France and Germany / Christian Bonah From danger to risk: the perception and regulation of X-rays in Switzerland 1896-1970 / Monika Dommann The population as patient: Alice Stewart and the controversy over low-level radiation in the 1950s / Sarah Dry To treat or not to treat: drug research and the changing nature of essential hypertension / Carsten Timmermann Hormones at risk: cancer and the medical uses of industrially-produced sex steroids in Germany, 1930-1960 / Jean-Paul Gaudillière Assessment and medical authority in operative fracture care in the 1960 and 1970s / Thomas Schlich Assessing the risk and safety of the pill: maternal mortality and the pill / Lara Marks Addressing uncertainties: the conceptualisation of brain death in Switzerland 1960-2000 / Silke Bellanger and Aline Steinbrecher Risk on trial: the interaction of innovation and risk in cancer clinical trials / Alberto Cambrosio and Peter Keating Biorisk: interleukin-2 from laboratory to market in the United States and Germany / Arthur Daemmrich The redemption of thalidomide: standardizing the risk of birth defects / Stefan Timmermans and Valerie Leiter. Questions of risk and safety have increasingly gained significance in the development of biomedicine in the past two hundred years, but the way dangers involved in medical innovations are portrayed and discussed has varied, often being highly dependent on context.The Risks of Medical Innovation studies specific cases of medical innovation in their respective contexts, including X-rays, the Pill and Thalidomide. Cases are looked at through the lens of a particular set of shared questions concerning risk, highlighting differences, similarities, continuities, and changes, and offering a historical sociology of risk. Particularly important is the re-conceptualization of dangers in terms of risk, a numerical and probabilistic approach which allowed for seemingly objective and value-neutral decisions. However the historical examples show that the political dimension inherent in any decision about medical innovation does not simply disappear by reframing it in terms of risk.Read together, these papers add to the current debate about risk and safety by providing a comparative background and a set of generally applicable criteria for analysing and evaluating contemporary issues around medical innovation. This volume views risk and medical innovation in a social historical perspective providing a much-needed contribution to our knowledge of the historical development of the modern notions of risk and safety Presenting a new way of thinking about the risks of medical innovation, this volume considers the issues from a social historical perspective, and studies specific cases in their respective contexts.