title: Iatrogenic concerns of the twentieth century: post-vaccinal encephalitis and spongiform encephalopathy.
abstract: Throughout the twentieth century, iatrogenic disease constituted an enduring problem in western medical discourse and practice. A survey of the medical literature, investigative reports, and archival material indicates that iatrogenic concerns persisted throughout the century. Two groups of case studies are presented: one associated with post-vaccinal encephalitis; the other, with the iatrogenically transmitted spongiform encephalopathies, scrapie and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. Kuru, a similar disease investigated in New Guinea--but which is thought to be neither iatrogenically caused nor transmitted--is also discussed to speculate on whether an iatrogenic lens might be a valuable tool with which to re-view its mode of transmission.
authors.affiliation: University of Western Sydney.
authors.forename: Chris
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Wilson
mesh_terms: D004673:Encephalomyelitis, Acute Disseminated / Q000266:history*; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans; D007049:Iatrogenic Disease; D017096:Prion Diseases / Q000266:history*