Product Description
Despite rapid increases in knowledge, malaria continues to kill more than a million people each year and causes symptomatic disease in a further 300 million individuals. This volume brings some of the world's best investigators to describe recent advances in both the scientific and clinical aspects of malaria, and bridges between the two. ... Read more

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Until the middle of the seventeenth century, little was understood about malaria, the deadly disease that decimated populations and crippled armies. A legend, however, persisted about a beautiful Spanish countess who was cured during a stay in Peru by drinking a medicine made from the bark of a miraculous tree. And so began the search for the elusive cinchona tree by a trio of British explorers who sought to rid the world of malaria. Today, in laboratories and research facilities, the hunt continues—this time for a vaccine against the disease that eludes all efforts to contain it.
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Customer Reviews (4)

History of Malaria
The Fever Trail:In Search of the Cure for Malaria.
Malaria is a huge worldwide problem.And it's getting worse.More countries are reporting cases of Malaria.Resistance to the standard drugs is growing.This book gives a good overview of the history of Malaria and provides a complete discussion of the discovery and search for Quinine.For me, the most interesting part of the book are the last chapters which cover the new drugs for Malaria and the direction of research on vaccines against Malaria.Since I am involved in Malaria vaccine research, I was most interested in that aspect and this book does not have as much detail about vaccines as I would like.If you are looking to learn more about the history of Malaria this is a great book.

The True Cost of Things We Take for Granted
"The Fever Trail" is a remarkable tale of the quest for a cure for malaria.Unfortunately the early and hard won triumphs of quinine have been somewhat short lived. Now malaria threatens us again throughout the warmer parts of the planet, but the quinine story is none the less riveting for that.Quinine is no longer the preferred treatment for the disease, but it made exploration of the tropics by Europeans possible, as well as making parts of Europe and North America more habitable.The difficulties and missteps involved in the development of quinine are echoed in just about every drug, food or other product that we now take for granted.Such items as honey, sugar, antibiotics, nuclear power, crop varieties, domestic animals, plastics, computers, etc., each have their own stories and at least some of these need to be more emphasized to make us all less complacent.The message is that knowledge is often hard won and needs to be respected.It can also (as in nuclear power) be a double-edged sword.

While the author often rambles, I did not find this too much of a distraction.Instead I was (as I say above) impressed by how human perseverance and even deviousness had managed to overcome huge obstacles to deliver the miracle drug quinine to the outside world. This part of the malaria story has been seldom told in a popular book until now and "The Fever Trail" is very noteworthy for this reason.

The later chapters cover discovery of the malarial parasite, the modern era of anti-malarial drugs, and the attempts to develop a vaccine, parts of the malaria story that several other authors have dealt with as well. The complexities of developing a vaccine are now more appreciated than they were when various researchers started working on the problem and made unsubstantiated and very rosy predictions which proved overblown.Malaria still threatens us and the long battle with this "tropical" disease is far from over.If nothing else, Mark Honigsbaum has reminded of this.

nearly very good
Good God, when I consider the melancholy fate of so many of botany's votaries, I am tempted to ask whether men are in their right mind
who so desperately risk life and everything else through the love of collecting plants.
-Carolus Linnaeus, Glory of the Scientist

If you've ever read James Clavell's great novel, Tai-Pan--and if you haven't, shame on you--you'll recall that when Dirk Struan's beloved Chinese mistress, May-may, comes down with malaria, the proud Protestant trader is forced to go hat in hands to the Catholic bishop to secure a cure for her : cinchona bark.As Clavell renders the tale, only the Catholics, thanks to the presence of their missionaries in South America have access and no the secrets of this marvelous remedy.

Well, comes now Mark Honigsbaum to reveal the remarkable true story behind cinchona bark, of its discovery, of the realization that the quinine that can be derived from the bark can cure malaria (though certain trees produce more quinine), of the attempts of the natives to maintain a monopoly on it, and of the colonial adventurers who set out to steal it from them.The bulk of the book is taken up with exciting expeditions into the Andes in search of the bark, led by men like Richard Spruce, Charles Ledger, and Clements Markham.But these stories eventually begin to run together and as they pile atop one another the feats performed no longer seem so remarkable.The author also has something of an axe to grind, referring to the eventual illicit exportation of the cinchona trees to Java and India which broke the South American monopoly as one of history's greatest robberies.this has the unfortunate effect of making the heroes of the book come across simultaneously as villains.Moreover, it seems a debatable point whether the "robbery" was justified, since the original bark exporters proved unable to meet demand and since for those with malaria access to the medicine it produces can be a matter of life and death.

Even today malaria still kills as many from one and a half to three million people a year and Mr. Honigsbaum ends with a section on the current science and the ongoing search for a cure.One of the more promising lines of research appears to involve a DNA vaccine, taking DNA from the mosquito-born parasite that causes malaria and injecting it into muscle in order to get the immune system to produce T cells that will attack the parasite when it appears in the body.this is all interesting enough, but has the feel of having been tacked on to flesh out the book.

Ultimately this seems a case where less would have been better.For instance, had Mr. Honigsbaum just told the story of one of the cinchona hunters.Or perhaps he might have gone the historical novel route and combined some of the characters.As it stands, while much of the background on malaria is fascinating and the various searches for cinchona are exciting, the narrative ends up being a bit too diffused.One never really has a sense that the author had a necessary end point he was trying to reach, and so he seems to be meandering.Some of the meanders prove worthwhile in their own rights, but the attention does begin to wander.It's a book worth reading but it's frustrating in that one suspects a better book lurks within.

GRADE : C+

The Quest for Quinine
Malaria is still with us and getting worse.The story of the complicated, centuries-long battle against the disease that kills about a million people a year in Africa alone is well told in _The Fever Trail: In Search of the Cure for Malaria_ by Mark Honigsbaum.It is a story of astonishing human hardship in the effort (not always inspired by riches) to get understanding and control of the disease, but it is sadly clear by the end of the tale that despite the optimism of individual researchers, the tiny parasites borne by mosquitoes all over the world are simply too complicated for us to control any time soon.

Much of the effort to cure malaria was sparked as Europeans spread over the world and found their lives in jeopardy from it.The Jesuits learned (perhaps from the Indians) about the bark from the cinchona tree, and the church recommended its use.Physicians in northern Europe, however, were deeply suspicious of such a papist and Jesuitical drug; Cromwell, according to legend, refused the "Popish remedy," and died. Even-tually the efficacy of the drug triumphed over religious bigotry.Much of The Fever Trail has to do with the nineteenth century race to steal specimens and get them to plantations owned by Europeans.In particu-lar, the efforts of three Englishmen, who in independent efforts, suffered unbelievable deprivations on the trail which are well described here.Strangely, the British efforts amounted to little.The Dutch bought seeds for £20 from one of the explorers, and they happened to be the very best specimens.They went to Java, grown in scientifically designed plantations, and the Dutch cornered the market on quinine.

If quinine were a real cure, malaria might now be as dead as smallpox.However, the parasite that causes the disease has a complicated life cycle within mosquitoes and humans, and is not so easily banished.It has become resistant to quinine and the other antimalarial drugs derived from quinine.The attempt by the World Health Organization to use DDT to blitz the mosquito forever from the Earth was a failure that showed just how resourceful evolution could be in making mosquitoes resistant as well.What is needed is a foolproof vaccine, but although we have vaccines against various viral illnesses, no one has been able to invent one that works against a parasite.The attempts to develop a vaccine, the complicated finances of making drugs that can be used in impoverished countries, and the advantages of the mosquito net (whose inventor, David Livingstone said, deserved a statue in Westminster Abbey) are all covered in a fascinating book that reads like dispatches from a long, losing war.With the prospect of global warming extending the reach of the mosquitoes, it may be that the worst of the war is yet to come. ... Read more

Product Description
Malaria causes more death and disease than any other parasitic pathogen known today. This multiauthored text covers the important areas of malaria research, particularly focusing on those sectors which are of clinical importance for the understanding of the disease, the parasite, and its vector.
The chapter authors are all leading experts within their own particular fields. The biology and molecular biology of the parasite, the clinical spectrum of the disease, the pathogenesis of malaria, and the immunology and emergence of malaria vaccines are some examples of the scientific spheres that are discussed.
The book is suitable as a text for graduate students and clinicians as well as researchers at universities and companies involved in treating or studying infectious diseases. ... Read more

Product Description
Challenging traditional approaches to medical history, Disease in the History of Modern Latin America advances understandings of disease as a social and cultural construction in Latin America. This innovative collection provides a vivid look at the latest research in the cultural history of medicine through insightful essays about how disease—whether it be cholera or aids, leprosy or mental illness—was experienced and managed in different Latin American countries and regions, at different times from the late nineteenth century to the present.

Based on the idea that the meanings of sickness—and health—are contestable and subject to controversy, Disease in the History of Modern Latin America displays the richness of an interdisciplinary approach to social and cultural history. Examining diseases in Mexico, Brazil, Argentina, Colombia, Peru, and Bolivia, the contributors explore the production of scientific knowledge, literary metaphors for illness, domestic public health efforts, and initiatives shaped by the agendas of international agencies. They also analyze the connections between ideas of sexuality, disease, nation, and modernity; the instrumental role of certain illnesses in state-building processes; welfare efforts sponsored by the state and led by the medical professions; and the boundaries between individual and state responsibilities regarding sickness and health. Diego Armus’s introduction contextualizes the essays within the history of medicine, the history of public health, and the sociocultural history of disease.

Contributors. Diego Armus, Anne-Emanuelle Birn, Kathleen Elaine Bliss, Ann S. Blum, Marilia Coutinho, Marcus Cueto, Patrick Larvie, Gabriela Nouzeilles, Diana Obregón, Nancy Lays Stepan, Ann Zulawski ... Read more

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Malaria is making a dramatic comeback in the world. The disease is the foremost health challenge in Africa south of the Sahara, and people traveling to malarious areas are at increased risk of malaria-related sickness and death. This book examines the prospects for bringing malaria under control, with specific recommendations for U.S. policy, directions for research and program funding, and appropriate roles for federal and international agencies and the medical and public health communities. The volume reports on the current status of malaria research, prevention, and control efforts worldwide. The authors present study results and commentary on the Nature, clinical manifestations, diagnosis, and epidemiology of malaria. This book talks about: biology of the malaria parasite and its vector; prospects for developing malaria vaccines and improved treatments; and economic, social, and behavioral factors in malaria control. ... Read more

Product Description
Malaria and Rome is the first comprehensive book on the history of malaria in Roman Italy. Aimed at an interdisciplinary readership, it explores the evolution and ecology of malaria, its medical and demographic effects on human populations in antiquity, its social and economic effects, the human responses to it, and the human interpretations of it. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

Everything you ever wanted to know about malaria and Rome but were afraid to ask
For people who are researching disease in the ancient world, this book is a treasure trove of information.The bibliography alone is worth finding this book.It's well written and presented in a manner that's not going to completely overwhelm people.With it's combination of ancient, historical, and modern findings, Malaria and Rome is a comprehensive review of the topic. ... Read more

Product Description
For more than 50 years, low-cost antimalarial drugs silently saved millions of lives and cured billions of debilitating infections. Today, however, these drugs no longer work against the deadliest form of malaria that exists throughout the world. Malaria deaths in sub-Saharan Africa - currently just over one million per year - are rising because of increased resistance to the old, inexpensive drugs. Although effective new drugs called "artemisinins" are available, they are unaffordable for the majority of the affected population, even at a cost of one dollar per course. "Saving Lives, Buying Time: Economics of Malaria Drugs in an Age of Resistance" examines the history of malaria treatments, provides an overview of the current drug crisis, and offers recommendations on maximizing access to and effectiveness of antimalarial drugs. The book finds that most people in endemic countries will not have access to currently effective combination treatments, which should include an artemisinin, without financing from the global community. Without funding for effective treatment, malaria mortality could double over the next 10 to 20 years and transmission will intensify. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

trying to develop better drugs
Malaria is still with us. Beaten back in the developed countries, it continues to afflict large sections of sub-Saharan Africa. A big problem. The book describes the huge cost to those African countries. Not just to individuals, but to the nations, in terms of hampering their development.

The problem is that we are going backwards. Resistance has been evolving to existing drugs. But in advanced nations, there is little demand for better drugs. Hence funding is lacking, both at the governmental level and by drug companies. While the African countries lack the wherewithal to finance development of new drugs. The book suggests ways to obtain funding. Aided by United Nations agencies.

Also, existing malarial control methods that do not involve dosages of drugs are analysed. Most of these are cheap and can and should be continued to be used. Like draining stagnant pools near houses. Or DDT-laced nets around beds. ... Read more

Product Description
There is an urgent need to uncover new therapies that will protect against malaria, as the parasite becomes increasingly resistant to available drugs and this book offers insights into three interrelated aspects of the malaria-infected erythrocyte:

* The transport of solutes into and out of the infected cell and the use of specific trafficking pathways in drug targeting

* The traffic of proteins produced by the intracellular parasite as an essential process for the biogenesis of transport systems.

* The relationship between the transport of drugs into the infected cell and the mode of drug action and drug resistance.

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Product Description
This is an EXACT reproduction of a book published before 1923. This IS NOT an OCR'd book with strange characters, introduced typographical errors, and jumbled words.This book may have occasional imperfections such as missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. that were either part of the original artifact, or were introduced by the scanning process. We believe this work is culturally important, and despite the imperfections, have elected to bring it back into print as part of our continuing commitment to the preservation of printed works worldwide. We appreciate your understanding of the imperfections in the preservation process, and hope you enjoy this valuable book. ... Read more

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This Book Is In German. ... Read more

Product Description
In March 2001, the National Institutes of Health issued the following warning: "The number of Web sites offering health-related resources grows every day. Many sites provide valuable information, while others may have information that is unreliable or misleading."Furthermore, because of the rapid increase in Internet-based information, many hours can be wasted searching, selecting, and printing.This book was created for medical professionals, students, and members of the general public who want to conduct medical research using the most advanced tools available and spending the least amount of time doing so. ... Read more