Florian Mildenberger. Medizinische Belehrung für das Bürgertum: Medikale Kulturen in der Zeitschrift "Die Gartenlaube" (1853-1944). Stuttgart: Franz Steiner Verlag, 2012. 230 pp. EUR 43.00, paper, ISBN 978-3-515-10232-2. Reviewed by Kevin Goldberg Published on H-German (April, 2014) Commissioned by Chad Ross The second half of the nineteenth century has nized by scholars on both sides of the Atlantic.[1] rightfully been described by historians of Europe While Mildenberger's engagement with Die as a period of growing citizenship, burgeoning Gartenlaube is focused exclusively on its role in democracy, and as having increased attention on disseminating, popularizing, and discrediting cer‐ the health of the social body. Less familiar to his‐ tain medicinal discourses, the home journal is ac‐ torians--though no less important--was the peri‐ tually just one among many sources at the au‐ od's significance for medicine, medical practice, thor's disposal. Drawing on ten archival locations and bodily health. Florian Mildenberger's new and libraries, published medicinal treatises, as book treats both areas in tandem; that is, he well as competing popular journals, Medizinische demonstrates the reciprocity of middle-class iden‐ Belehrung provides a fairly robust overview of tity and the turbulent changes in the medicinal medicinal practice, particularly for the nineteenth practices of doctors, physicians, and ordinary Ger‐ century. The twentieth century, represented by mans. A major vehicle for this mutual develop‐ one very short chapter on the Weimar period ment was the popular home journal Die Garten‐ (four pages) and a slightly longer chapter on the laube. Founded by the 1848er Ernst Keil in 1853, Nazi period (eleven pages), is an afterthought in the fashionable journal would have its ownership, the context of the work's analytical and detailed content, and political allegiances transformed look at the period 1853-1918. multiple times over the next century, though its Mildenberger's study is anchored by a deep significance would hardly wane (in fact the jour‐ knowledge of the past and present of the medical nal remained profitable, without exception, be‐ field. One of the book's great strengths is its his‐ tween 1857 and 1944). torical and historiographic tour through medici‐ Die Gartenlaube's importance in the history nal practices in the middle decades of the nine‐ of German-speaking lands has long been recog‐ teenth century. Evoking Thomas S. Kuhn's theory H-Net Reviews of the "paradigm shift," Mildenburger argues that stances simultaneously gave occasion to his day- the profound changes in medicinal practices of to-day medicinal practice. Bock's dire fnancial po‐ the 1840s-60s do not actually ft that model.[2] In‐ sition in the years after 1850 necessitated sundry stead, Mildenberger suggests that the long dissolu‐ income sources, including authorship of various tion of idealist-natural philosophical thought in medicinal and medical pieces. Writing under a favor of natural-scientific methods actually result‐ pseudonym because of his tarnished reputation ed from the stringing together and partial contin‐ (owing more to alleged political rather than medi‐ uation of competing and coexisting theories, with‐ cal beliefs), Bock's frst piece, on toothaches and out which the remarkable breakthroughs in phys‐ their treatment, appeared in the pages of Die iology, pathology, anatomy, and therapy could not Gartenlaube in 1853. be achieved. For Mildenberger, this was "not at all Under the direction of Ferdinand Stolle and a 'paradigm shift,' but rather the continuation of Ernst Keil, Die Gartenlaube appeared as a short already engrained concepts that were supple‐ quarterly available to the readers of Dorfbarbiers. mented by developments within existing thought Bock's contributions remained steady, with a se‐ systems, including those still not free from theo‐ ries of articles on dental hygiene, artificial scents, retical and practical errors" (p. 21). Seen in this and a theme that would become something of a modifying light, the historical trajectory of medic‐ hobbyhorse, the consequences of tight-fitting inal change loses its heroic appeal, though the clothing. Bock railed against the "Einschnürung" squabbles and infighting of various medicinal of female corsets and male bodices, claiming that "schools" become no less dramatic in Mildenberg‐ the garments constricted the human liver, leading er's hands. to, among other symptoms, the cantankerousness If Mildenberger's historical overview might of women. However spurious Bock's claims about reintroduce specialists to some of the seminal tight clothing may have been, he appeared to be names in medicinal history (e.g., John Brown, An‐ deeply concerned about the emancipation of dreas Röschlaub, Rudolf Virchow), the focus of his women's bodies from medical guesswork. In a se‐ research turns to the lesser known but certainly ries of contributions directed at women titled not unfamiliar Carl Ernst Bock (1809-74), medici‐ "Dear Reader" (Liebe Leserin), Bock encouraged nal advisor to Die Gartenlaube in its formative the removal of shame from the doctor-patient re‐ years. Son of the lead prosector at the Leipzig lationship and sought to inculcate the latest aca‐ anatomical theater, Carl Ernst planned to follow demic knowledge into the journal's lay reader‐ his father into anatomical medicine and surgery. ship. To fnance his Habilitation, Ernst treated Polish Much of Bock's writings zealously attacked insurgents during the 1830-31 uprising against the opposing medicinal theories as provocateurs of Russian empire, and even extracted and sold the quackery, especially homeopathy. Though Milden‐ teeth of dead soldiers. This was both a medical berger does a clear enough job of sifting through and a political education. and explaining this material, the nonspecialist in‐ Failing to gain a frm foothold in academic terested exclusively in middle-class or popular medicine, Bock's interests turned toward the pop‐ culture may justifiably lose sight of their more ularization of medicinal practice. The revolution‐ general concerns. Paired with Bock's attacks ary activity in Saxony in 1848-49 (in which Bock against critics was his continual interest in foster‐ was loosely involved), as well as the region's con‐ ing an everyday understanding and application of comitant cholera outbreak, further hampered medicinal knowledge among nonprofessionals. Bock's academic plans, though these circum‐ Instead of speculating on junk theories, the eman‐ 2 H-Net Reviews cipated citizen (emanzipierte Bürger) according to The making of Bock into a "quantité néglige‐ Bock should learn "the economy of one's own able" at Die Gartenlaube coincided with the sensa‐ body" (p. 41). Bock's earliest contributions to Die tional rise to stardom of the novelist Eugenie Mar‐ Gartenlaube were published in book form in litt through her serial inserts. At the same time--as 1854, suggesting both the broad reception of already noted by Thomas Nipperdey--Die Garten‐ Bock's writings as well as his newfound success as laube moved away from its scandalizing liberal a medicinal counselor. The journal also basked in politics toward its newfound role as a well-be‐ success, evident in its rising price and wider cir‐ haved family journal. Just as editor Ernst Keil sup‐ culation. ported Bismarckian politics (like many other Lib‐ Mildenberger shows that Bock's role as a erals), the journal's emancipatory and democra‐ Volksaufklärer was never as cut and dry as would tizing message began to fall off key. For Bock, the seem. While a certain revenge against the aca‐ last decade of his life was witness to marvelous demic medical community which spurned him new developments in the medical sciences, in‐ appeared to be a mainstay of Bock's arsenal, there cluding new inventions and new ideas. For Die was a growing uncertainty in Bock's mind about Gartenlaube, the death of Bock in 1874 signaled the capacity for ordinary Bürger to manage their the need for a new direction in their medicinal own bodies. Whether because of his own doing or profile. perhaps due to the effects of the Prussian clamp‐ The age of the feuilleton had in part been ush‐ ing down of the press, Bock's role as the "people's ered in by Die Gartenlaube. Friedrich Spielhagen, enlightener" came to a gradual halt in the early Gustav Freytag, and Theodor Fontane had all 1860s. The journal's short-lived decline in circula‐ played a part in this critical transition. In order to tion (due to Prussian censorship) was offset by win the hearts of their female readership, the greater advancements in printing technology, al‐ journal continued to feature women authors and lowing for faster production and thus more timely women's themes (for example, the above-men‐ pieces. In spite of Bock's reduced role in Die tioned Eugenie Marlitt, who appealed to female Gartenlaube, the 1860s appeared to be a golden readers across the class spectrum). Medicinal decade for him. Invitations to lecture publicly in‐ themes in the feuilleton often played only a sup‐ creased, fnancial woes had dissipated, and he be‐ porting role, however. Mildenberger's treatment gan to fnd readers beyond those of the popular of this so-called Trivialliteratur diverges method‐ home journal. On the shelves of workers' li‐ ologically from the preceding and succeeding braries, Bock sat side by side with Karl Marx and pages of the book. While the author's transition Ferdinand Lassalle. At the same time, however, from historian to literary critic makes for an en‐ Bock's pathological-anatomical worldview had gaging digression, the reader is left to wonder come into question in the broader medical com‐ where this material fts into the book's larger munity, including by the more renowned Rudolf framework. Virchow. Mildenberger takes the reader on a Mildenberger quickly turns back to "reality" whirlwind tour through the 1860s, articulating (if in an extended chapter on medicinal progress and sometimes too briefly and without enough analyt‐ Die Gartenlaube 1874-1900.