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This monograph presents a detailed analysis of the beginning and rapid establishment of blood group research in the first half of the twentieth century. The main theme of this book is how blood groups were used as a scientific explanation of differences in race, health, and human behaviour. The discovery of the inheritance of blood groups, and their uneven distribution among various human populations quickly developed into a new field of scientific study in various countries around the world. Almost as quickly, the discoveries were studied as genetic markers of race, disease, and behaviours such as crime, insanity, and temperament. The time scope of coverage is the first half of the twentieth century, beginning with Landsteiner's discovery of blood groups and ending with the period following the Second World War when the research was picked up again and became part of the revolution in human genetics accelerated by the discovery of the double helix. By this time, blood group genetics had undermined the very concept of race and became the foundation of population genetics. The focus on the formative period of blood group research complements the recent resurgence of interest in the subject by providing in- depth background and a base for further research.
Inhaltsverzeichnis
Chapter 1. Background and Key Developments of Blood Group Research.- Chapter 2. The Pattern of Research About Blood Groups.- Chapter 3. Blood Group Research in Germany and the Soviet Union.- Chapter 4. Blood Group Research in Great Britain, France, and the U.S. Between the World Wars.- Chapter 5. Blood Group Research in Japan, Italy, and Elsewhere.- Chapter 6. Blood Groups as Markers: Race and Disease.- Chapter 7. Blood Groups and Behavioral Genetics: Crime, Insanity, and Temperament.- Chapter 8. Conclusion: The Legacy of Blood Group Research After 1945.
Über den Autor / die Autorin
William H. Schneider
is Professor Emeritus of History and Medical Humanities at Indiana University, USA. Among his numerous historical studies on eugenics, serology and transfusion medicine, and global health history, are recent books on
The History of Blood Transfusion in Sub-Saharan Africa
and
Histories of the HIVs: The Origin of the Multiple AIDS Epidemics
.
Zusatztext
“A valuable resource—especially for scholars working within the field. By mapping the scope, scale, and geography of early blood group research, Blood Groups and Human Heredity, 1900–1950: The First Genetic Marker offers a solid empirical foundation that can support further historical, sociological, or philosophical analysis, and enriches our understanding of how scientific fields gain momentum and structure over time.” (Kostas Kampourakis, The Quarterly Review of Biology, Vol. 100 (3), September, 2025)
Bericht
A valuable resource especially for scholars working within the field. By mapping the scope, scale, and geography of early blood group research, Blood Groups and Human Heredity, 1900 1950: The First Genetic Marker offers a solid empirical foundation that can support further historical, sociological, or philosophical analysis, and enriches our understanding of how scientific fields gain momentum and structure over time. (Kostas Kampourakis, The Quarterly Review of Biology, Vol. 100 (3), September, 2025)
