Roots of Racism in Health and Medicine

What are the roots of racism in health and medicine?  The Medical Heritage Library has begun the work of surfacing historical texts in our collection that show racism, health disparities, experimentation, and the other ways that medicine and race intertwine over time.

Early medical texts, particularly in the eighteenth through early twentieth centuries, increasingly focused on “differences” among humans or on diseases that seemed to specifically target certain races. Texts written by many Black authors, such as W.E.B. DuBois and his colleagues, worked to contextualize health issues in larger society, complicating racial stereotypes. Mid to late twentieth century texts, represented most often by government documents in our collection, attempted to give voice the deep problems surrounding race, medicine, and health.  Themes of racial differences and disparities continue to haunt medicine and healthcare access today, and we hope we can help shed some light on this longer and darker history through these challenging primary sources. 

Please be aware that some of these texts can be offensive in today’s context, using language, depicting images, and promoting ideas that are extremely problematic.

TitleAuthorPublisherDate
A study of black medical students at three medical schoolsFranklin, Reginald Keith1974
The black man : the comparative anatomy and psychology of the African NegroBurmeister, Hermann, 1807-1892William C. Bryant & Co.1853
On the Negro's place in natureHunt, James, 1833-1869Published for the Anthropological Society, by Trübner1863
Ethnology of the negro or prognathous race : a lecture delivered Nov. 30, 1857, before the N. O. Academy of SciencesCartwright, Samuel A. (Samuel Adolphus), 1793-18631857
Prodromus towards a philosophical inquiry into the intellectual powers of the negroBinns, Edward, -1851John Churchill1844
A practical view of the present state of slavery in the West Indies : or, An examination of Mr. Stephen's "Slavery of the British West India Colonies:"Barclay, AlexanderPublished by Smith, Elder & Co.1826
On the pigment of the Negro's skin and hairAbel, John Jacob, 1857-1938; Davis, Walter SD. Appleton and Company1896
Early syphilis in the NegroAtkinson, I. Edmondson (Isaac Edmondson), 1846-19061877
The problem of the races in AfricaColenso, Harriette Emily, 1847-1932; Simon, Sir John, 1816-1904Oriental University Institute1897
Das Hirn des Negers mit dem des Europäers und Orang-Outangs verglichenTiedemann, Friedrich, 1781-1861K. Winter1837
Instincts of racesNott, Josiah Clark, 1804-1873L. Graham1866
The Nachash origin of the black and mixed racesThompson, Charles Blancher, 1814-1895G. Knapp & Co., printers and binders1860
Des moyens de conserver la sante? des blancs et des ne?gres, aux Antilles ou climats chauds et humides de l'Ame?riqueBertin, docteurChez Me?quignon l'ai?ne?1786
A study in the epidemiology of tuberculosis with especial reference to tuberculosis of the tropics and of the negro raceBushnell, George E. (George Ensigh), 1853-1924William Wood and Co.c1920 (1922 printing)
Observations on the skeleton of a HottentotWyman, Jeffries, 1814-18741863
Observations and researches on albinism in the negro raceJones, Joseph, (1833-1896)Collins, printer1869
The anular [i.e. annular] lesions of early syphilis in the negroFox, Howard, 1873-1947Wilhelm Braumüller1912
Hayti, or, The Black republicSt. John, Spenser, Sir, 1826-1910.Smith, Elder1884
Characteristic labor scenes among the yellow, black and red racesEngelmann, George J. (George Julius), 1847-19031882
Dr. H.A. Ramsay's letter to Dr. James Bryan, on the Southern negro, etcRamsay, H. A; Bryan, James, 1810-1881A. Hughes & Co., printers1853
Contributions a la pathologie de la race nègreChassaniol1865
The classification of mankind, by the hair and wool of their heads : with an answer to Dr. Prichard's assertion, that "the covering of the head of the Negro is hair, properly so termed, and not wool" : read before the American Ethnological Society, November 3, 1849Browne, Peter A. (Peter Arrell), 1782-1860; Prichard, James Cowles, 1786-1848Hart1850
Medical advice to the inhabitants of warm climates, on the domestic treatment of all the diseases incidental therein : with a few useful hints to new settlers, for the preservation of health, and the prevention of sicknessThomas, Robert, 1753-1835Printed and sold by John Wells1794
An essay on the more common West-India diseases; and the remedies which that country itself produces : To which are added, some hints on the management, &c. of negroesGrainger, James, 1721?-1766T. Becket and P. A. De Hondt1764
Race mixture : studies in intermarriage and miscegenationReuter, Edward Byron, 1880-1946.McGraw-Hill1931
Physical differences between white and colored childrenHrdlic?ka, Ales?, 1869-1943,Judd & Detweiler1898
Reports of the trustees, superintendent and resident physician, and other officers of the lunatic asylum, of the state of Georgia, from October 1st, 1887, to 1st October, 1888Georgia State Lunatic AsylumPrinted by Union & Recorder-Barnes & Moore1888
Traité de la couleur de la peau humaine en général; de celle des negres en particulier, et de la métamorphose d'une de ces couleurs en l'autre, soit de naissance, soit accidentellementLe Cat, Claude-Nicolas, 1700-17681765
Dissertatio secunda de sede et caussa coloris Aethiopum et caeterorum hominum.Albinus, Bernhard Siegfried, 1697-1770Theodore Haak1737
Dietary studies with reference to the food of the Negro in Alabama in 1895 and 1896Atwater, W. O. (Wilbur Olin), 1844-1907Government Printing Office1897
A treatise on the diseases of negroes, as they occur in the island of Jamaica : with observations on the country remediesThomson, James, fl. 1814-1820Printed by Alex. Aikman, jun. ...1820
The health and physique of the Negro American : report of a social study made under the direction of Atlanta University : together with the Proceedings of the Eleventh Conference for the Study of the Negro Problems, held at Atlanta university, on May the 29th, 1906Du Bois, W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963Atlanta University Press1906
Observations sur les maladies des negres : leurs causes, leurs traitemens et les moyens de les prévenirDazille, Jean-Barthélémi, -1812Chez Didot le jeune1776
Half a man : the status of the Negro in New YorkOvington, Mary White, 1865-1951Longmans, Green, and Co.1911
Essai de pathologie ethnique : de l'influence de la race sur la fréquence, la forme et la gravité des maladiesBoudin, J. Ch. M. (Jean Christian Marc François Joseph), 1806-18671862
Disease and raceJadrooSwan Sonnenschein1894
Human faculty as determined by race : addressBoas, Franz, 1858-1942The Salem Press1894
On some of the apparent peculiarities of parturition in the Negro race, with remarks on race pelves in generalJohnson, Joseph Taber, 1846-1921William Wood & Co.1875
Thoughts on the original unity of the human raceCaldwell, Charles, 1772-1853E. Bliss1830
The doctrine of the unity of the human race examined on the principles of scienceBachman, John, 1790-1874C. Canning1850
The vital equation of the colored race and its future in the United StatesCorson, Eugene Rollin, 1855-Comstock Publishing Co.1893
Observations on the climate in different parts of America : compared with the climate in corresponding parts of the other continent : to which are added, remarks on the different complexions of the human race ; with some account of the aborigines of America : being an introductory discourse to the History of North-CarolinaWilliamson, Hugh, 1735-1819Printed and sold by T. & J. Swords, no. 160 Pearl-Street1811
In the heart of the New South : letter from Birmingham, Ala.Wendt, Edmund Charles, 1857-1903Trow's Printing and Bookbinding Co.1890
Down in Dixie : a second Birmingham, Ala., letterWendt, Edmund Charles, 1857-1903Trow's Printing and Bookbinding Co.1890
The treatment practices of Black physiciansKoba Associates; United States. Office of Health Resources OpportunityHRA1979
What experience has taught me ; an autobiography of Thomas William Burton ..Burton, Thomas William, b. 1860Press of Jennings and Graham1910
Crossing Ovah' : a phenomenological examination of healing in African Americans of the Southeastern United StatesAnderson, LaLisa Alita2001
Navy Medicine Highlights First African Americans In The Navy Medical DepartmentU.S. Navy. Bureau of Medicine and Surgery2013
Final national demographic report on African American elderlyUnited States. Health Care Financing Administration; Helix Group, IncThe Helix Group, Inc.2000
Tobacco Advertising: African Americans
On the treatment of vesico-vaginal fistulaSims, J. Marion (James Marion), 1813-1883Blanchard & Lea1853

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