Syphilis and Sexual Health in the United States (1890-1940) with Elliott Bowen
Episode 33 - October 25, 2020
Elliott Bowen (Nazarbayev University) joins Merle and Lee to discuss his work on sexual health more broadly. The conversation focuses on syphilis, a venereal disease, between the late 19th and mid-20th centuries in the United States. The disease itself is first put into its social and cultural contexts. One of the most popular centers for the treatment of syphilis at the time was Hot Springs, Arkansas. Elliott outlines some of the experiences of people who came to visit the city, ranging from frequent scalding-hot baths to mercury treatment. The different experiences of underrepresented groups are also touched upon, as are some of the other phenomenon associated with the town such as the widespread prostitution in it.
Further Reading
- Elliott Bowen, “Before Tuskegee: Public Health and Venereal Disease in Hot Springs, Arkansas.” Southern Spaces (October 31, 2017).
- Carpenter, Kathryn, ““CESSPOOLS,” SPRINGS, AND SNAKING PIPES.” Technology’s Stories 7, no. 1 (March 13, 2019).
- Lombardo, Paul A. and Dorr, Gregory M. “Eugenics, Medical Education, and the Public Health Service: Another Perspective on the Tuskegee Syphilis Experiment.” Bulletin of the History of Medicine 80, no. 2 (2006): 291-316.
- Hay, Eugene Carson. "The Advantages in the treatment of syphilis at the hot springs of Arkansas." Journal of the American Medical Association 28, no. 6 (1897): 251-253.
Our Guest
Elliott Bowen,
Assistant Professor, History, Philosophy, and Religious Studies, Nazarbayev University.
