Å·±¦ÓéÀÖ

The tragedies in this book seem to grow exponentially. First there is the dehumanizing cruelty of slavery. Next the consequences of primitive medical practices that leave countless victims in their wake. Add to this the unscrupulous practice of a physician who is looking for fame and fortune, while fighting against the terrible restrictions of medical ethics, and you have the story of Anarcha, a slave, a victim, and ultimately a hero.

This is the story of Dr. James Sims who P.T. Barnumed his way into fame and fortune as the founder of modern gynecology on the backs (more correctly-uteruses) of slaves. Experimenting on them, claiming successes and hiding deaths and failures, he strove to become a champion of himself as great surgeon.

This book is not for the faint-hearted. Read it with a dictionary, and unless you are a physician, a Grey's Anatomy. It is easy to dismiss all these 19th century barbaric practices with regard to obstetric fistulas and experimentation on enslaved women as a thing of the past. Until you read the epilogue about Africa today.