A history of epilepsy and the work required to manage it.In the middle of the twentieth century, medical advancements like anticonvulsant drugs and electroencephalograms promised new possibilities for managing seizures. At the same time, people with epilepsy were navigating a complex medical landscape and enduring social prejudice. In Secrecy and Safety, historian Rachel Elder presents a deeply researched history of epilepsy and the stories of individuals grappling with the dual burden of living with an unpredictable condition and concealing it to avoid stigma. While new treatments offered the hope of control, the era's emphasis on personal responsibility reinforced a culture of secrecy around disability. Epilepsy became an "invisible" condition—manageable in public life but requiring constant vigilance and self-regulation. This thought-provoking study examines case studies that reveal how postwar beliefs about control and normalcy shaped perceptions of disability and identity. Rooted in rich historical research, Secrecy and Safety is the first comprehensive examination of epilepsy during this pivotal period. By examining the societal pressures placed on individuals to perform health and manage risk, Elder offers a compelling lens through which to understand broader questions of autonomy, visibility, and belonging in modern America. Secrecy and Safety reconsiders the narratives that define chronic illness and the enduring quest for control in the face of uncertainty.

Technology and consumerism are two characteristic phenomena in the history medicine and healthcare, yet the connections between them are rarely explored by scholars. In this edited volume, the authors address this disconnect, noting the ways in which a variety of technologies have shaped patients’ roles as consumers since the early twentieth century. Chapters examine key issues, such as the changing nature of patient information and choice, patients’ assessment of risk and reward, and matters of patient role and of patient demand as they relate to new and changing technologies. They simultaneously investigate how differences in access to care and in outcomes across various patient groups have been influenced by the advent of new technologies and consumer-based approaches to health. The volume spans the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, spotlights an array of medical technologies and health products, and draws on examples from across the United States and United Kingdom.

A history of epilepsy and the work required to manage it.In the middle of the twentieth century, medical advancements like anticonvulsant drugs and electroencephalograms promised new possibilities for managing seizures. At the same time, people with epilepsy were navigating a complex medical landscape and enduring social prejudice. In Secrecy and Safety, historian Rachel Elder presents a deeply researched history of epilepsy and the stories of individuals grappling with the dual burden of living with an unpredictable condition and concealing it to avoid stigma. While new treatments offered the hope of control, the era's emphasis on personal responsibility reinforced a culture of secrecy around disability. Epilepsy became an "invisible" condition—manageable in public life but requiring constant vigilance and self-regulation. This thought-provoking study examines case studies that reveal how postwar beliefs about control and normalcy shaped perceptions of disability and identity. Rooted in rich historical research, Secrecy and Safety is the first comprehensive examination of epilepsy during this pivotal period. By examining the societal pressures placed on individuals to perform health and manage risk, Elder offers a compelling lens through which to understand broader questions of autonomy, visibility, and belonging in modern America. Secrecy and Safety reconsiders the narratives that define chronic illness and the enduring quest for control in the face of uncertainty.

Technology and consumerism are two characteristic phenomena in the history medicine and healthcare, yet the connections between them are rarely explored by scholars. In this edited volume, the authors address this disconnect, noting the ways in which a variety of technologies have shaped patients’ roles as consumers since the early twentieth century. Chapters examine key issues, such as the changing nature of patient information and choice, patients’ assessment of risk and reward, and matters of patient role and of patient demand as they relate to new and changing technologies. They simultaneously investigate how differences in access to care and in outcomes across various patient groups have been influenced by the advent of new technologies and consumer-based approaches to health. The volume spans the twentieth and twenty-first centuries, spotlights an array of medical technologies and health products, and draws on examples from across the United States and United Kingdom.