Murray T. Jock. Multiple Sclerosis: The History of a Disease

1 edition. New York: Demos Health, 2005. 594 p.
The social and professional histories of multiple sclerosis are rich in their sources and their detail. Dr. Murray, in this scholarly but at the same time engaging book, brings together a mass of material, some not easily accessible otherwise. His range is wide. He gives a balanced assessment of the claims for the existence of multiple sclerosis in historical figures and of the accounts of sufferers from MS who have written of their experiences. He charts the evolution of our knowledge of the nature of multiple sclerosis, of the factors involved in its causation, how it affects the nervous system, and of the changing strategies for treatment. This book is a mine of information. People with multiple sclerosis, physicians, nurses, physiotherapists, and others involved in the care of patients, as well as historians interested in the social context of disease, will be greatly in Dr. Murray’s debt.