The Strange Case of Dr. Couney: How a Mysterious European

The Strange Case of Dr. Couney: How a Mysterious European Showman Saved Thousands of American Babies

â€œAÂ mosaic mystery told in vignettes, cliffhangers, curious asides, and some surreal plot twists as Raffel investigates the secrets of the man who changed infant care in America.â€â€”NPR, 2018's Great Reads

What kind of doctor puts his patients on display?Â This is the spellbinding tale of aÂ mysterious Coney Island doctor who revolutionized neonatal care more than one hundred years ago and saved some seven thousand babies. Dr. Martin Couney's story is a kaleidoscopic ride through the intersection of ebullient entrepreneurship, enlightened pediatric care, and the wild culture of world's fairs at the beginning of the American Century.

As Dawn Raffel recounts, Dr. Couney used incubators and careful nursing to keep previously doomed infants alive, while displaying these babies alongside sword swallowers, bearded ladies, and burlesque shows at Coney Island, Atlantic City, and venues across the nation. How thisÂ turn-of-the-twentieth-century Ã©migrÃ© became the savior to families with premature infantsâ€”known then as â€œweaklingsâ€â€”as he ignored the scorn of the medical establishment and fought the rising popularity of eugenics is one of the most astounding stories of modern medicine. Dr. Couney, for all his entrepreneurial gusto, is a surprisingly appealing character, someone who genuinely cared for the well-being of his tiny patients. But he had something to hide...

Drawing on historical documents, original reportage, and interviews with surviving patients, Dawn Raffel tells the marvelously eccentric story of Couney's mysterious carnival career, his larger-than-life personality, and his unprecedented success as the savior of the fragile wonders that are tiny, tiny babies.
Â
AÂ New York Times Book ReviewÂ New & Noteworthy Title
AÂ Real SimpleÂ Best Book of 2018
Christopher Award-winner

Country	USA
Author	Dawn Raffel
Binding	Hardcover
EAN	9780399175749
Edition	1
ISBN	0399175741
Label	Blue Rider Press
Manufacturer	Blue Rider Press
NumberOfItems	1
NumberOfPages	304
PublicationDate	2018-07-31
Publisher	Blue Rider Press
ReleaseDate	2018-07-31
Studio	Blue Rider Press

The Strange Case of Dr. Couney: How a Mysterious European Showman Saved Thousands of American Babies

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