This thesis looks at Russian and German medical texts related to recreational drugs that were written in the period that witnessed the emergence of drug addiction as a social problem (late 19th – early 20th centuries). An important part of the argument is the analysis and critique of primary sources that I undertake in order to investigate various theories, images, and practices related to drug addiction.
This work shows how drug addiction was eventually constructed as a social problem related to modernity, capitalism – and Jewishness. Drug addiction research appears to be one of the attractive fields for Jewish scientists, who used this opportunity to contemplate, negotiate, and re-define the new Jewish identity in a rapidly changing modern world. As evident from the analysis of the solutions proposed in medical texts and their influence on practical drug policy, medical science in both Russia and Germany (though with substantial variations due to political, cultural and scientific differences) played a major role in marginalizing and repressing drug addicts while rejecting other emerging alternatives.
Table of Contents
Introduction
Chapter 1: Medical Texts and their Authors: Description and Critique of Primary Sources
1.1. Description of Medical Texts
1.2. Personalities of Authors
1.3. Dilemmas of Jewish Doctors
Chapter 2: Poisons of Civilization? Medicine and Drug Addiction in Russia and Germany, 1871-1914
2.1. Social Context of the Problem in the Late 19th and Early 20th Centuries
2.2. Medical Theory Around Fin-de-Siècle
2.2.1. Origins of Drug Addiction
2.2.2. Images of Drug Addicts
2.2.3. Possible Solutions
Chapter 3: Constructing the Social Problem: Drug Addiction in Russian and German Medical Texts, 1914-1933
3.1. Radical Changes in Russia and Germany, 1914-1922
3.2. Medical Theory after the First World War
3.2.1. Origins of Drug Addiction
3.2.2. Images of Drug Addicts
3.2.3. The Ways of Solving the Social Problem
Conclusion
Objectives and Research Themes
This thesis examines the emergence of drug addiction as a social problem in late 19th and early 20th-century Russia and Germany. It investigates how medical professionals constructed the concept of addiction in relation to modernity, capitalism, and Jewish identity, and how these discourses influenced public health policies and the marginalization of drug addicts.
- Historical and comparative analysis of medical literature in Russia and Germany.
- Examination of the construction of drug addiction as a "social problem" tied to modernity.
- Critique of primary medical sources and the role of physicians as claims-makers.
- Investigation into the specific association between Jewish identity, medical discourse, and addiction research.
- Analysis of the political, cultural, and social variables shaping narcotic policy.
Excerpt from the Book
1.1. Description of Medical Texts
Dealing with medical texts presents many challenges, since they are rather unusual historical sources. They appear to be appropriate dry scientific documents that communicate universal and a-historical truth about healthy and diseased bodies and minds – and do it in an objective impersonal fashion. Medical texts can also easily scare away an inexperienced scholar who would assume that (s)he would require some special medical knowledge to understand something from them.
There were, however, different types of texts (from short memo to comprehensive monograph) that came in a whole range of styles from articles in a popular newspaper to the proper footnote-laden scientific text. Moreover, for my purpose medical texts are actually the most useful sources that can communicate the information that would otherwise be certainly missed. The printed works of Russian and German physicians are the only primary sources providing us with specific facts and definitions – and not vague phrases. Medical texts dealing with drug addiction are also interesting in another respect – they remarkably differ from their 'neighbors' in thick professional journals in abandoning medical vocabulary and engaging in discussion about large-scale social problems and their causes.
Summary of Chapters
Chapter 1: Medical Texts and their Authors: Description and Critique of Primary Sources: This chapter establishes the methodology for analyzing medical texts, focusing on the identity of the authors and the need to critically evaluate these documents as social constructs rather than objective scientific truths.
Chapter 2: Poisons of Civilization? Medicine and Drug Addiction in Russia and Germany, 1871-1914: This section explores the pre-war period, where drug addiction was not yet a major social concern, but the foundational theories and language regarding "poisons of civilization" and degeneration began to emerge.
Chapter 3: Constructing the Social Problem: Drug Addiction in Russian and German Medical Texts, 1914-1933: This chapter analyzes the transformation of drug addiction into a significant social problem following the First World War, examining the influence of political regimes, economic crises, and the intensified association between addiction, capitalism, and Jewishness.
Keywords
Drug addiction, medical history, Russia, Germany, modernity, capitalism, Jewish identity, social problem, public health policy, degeneration, psychiatry, narcology, primary sources, fin-de-siècle, addiction research.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the primary focus of this research?
This thesis examines the historical construction of drug addiction as a social problem in Russia and Germany from the late 19th century through the 1930s, specifically looking at how medical professionals shaped public and political perceptions of the issue.
What are the central themes of the work?
The core themes include the intersection of medical theory with social and political agendas, the concept of "modernity" as a root cause for social ills, the impact of capitalism, and the specific role Jewish identity played in medical discourse and addiction research.
What is the research objective regarding Jewish doctors?
The work seeks to explain the significant over-representation of Jewish physicians in the field of addiction research and how they negotiated their professional roles while grappling with anti-Semitic medical and social stereotypes of the time.
Which scientific methods are primarily utilized in the study?
The study employs a historical and comparative method, integrating elements of discourse analysis and structural functionalism to critique primary medical texts, such as monographs, professional journals, and administrative reports.
How does the author treat medical texts as sources?
The author argues against perceiving medical texts as purely objective scientific accounts. Instead, they are treated as primary sources written by specific authors with personal and professional agendas that influenced the construction of the "addict" as a social subject.
What defines the research's chronological scope?
The study covers the period from roughly 1871, marked by German unification and the emancipation of Jews, to 1933, which saw the rise of totalitarian regimes in both countries and the alleged elimination of drug addiction as a recognized public issue.
How did the First World War affect drug addiction discourse?
The war acted as a catalyst that transformed drug addiction from an individual medical concern into a major social problem, as authorities and physicians used the dramatic increase in addiction rates to advocate for state control, regulation, and moral panics.
What role does the concept of "remnants of capitalism" play in Soviet-era texts?
In the Soviet context, physicians often labeled addiction a "remnant of capitalism," using this framework to align scientific discourse with Marxist ideology, thereby pathologizing non-socialist influences and justifying state-led reforms.
- Quote paper
- Pavel Vasilyev (Author), 2010, Poisons of Civilization, Remnants of Capitalism, or Jewish Disease? Drug Addiction in Russian and German Medical Texts from the 1879s to the 1930s, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.hausarbeiten.de/document/153970
