Breathing Space: How Allergies Shape Our Lives and Landscapes »

Gregg Mitman is William Coleman Professor of the History of Science and professor of medical history and science and technology studies, University of Wisconsin–Madison. He is the author of two award-winning books and many journal and scholarly articles on history of science topics.

Allergy is the sixth leading cause of chronic illness in the United States. More than fifty million Americans suffer from allergies, and they spend an estimated $18 billion coping with them. Yet despite advances in biomedicine and enormous investment in research over the past fifty years, the burden of allergic disease continues to grow. Why have we failed to reverse this trend?
Breathing Space offers an intimate portrait of how allergic disease has shaped American culture, landscape, and life. Drawing on environmental, medical, and cultural history and the life stories of people, plants, and insects, Mitman traces how America’s changing environment from the late 1800s to the present day has led to the epidemic growth of allergic disease. We have seen a never-ending stream of solutions to combat allergies, from hay fever resorts, herbicides, and air-conditioned homes to numerous potions and pills. But, as Mitman shows, despite the quest for a magic bullet, none of the attempted solutions has succeeded. Until we address how our changing environment—physical, biological, social, and economic—has helped to create America’s allergic landscape, that hoped-for success will continue to elude us.

Preface     ix
Introduction     1
Hay Fever Holiday     10
When Pollen Became Poison     52
The Last Resorts     89
Choking Cities     130
On the Home Front     167
An Inhaler in Every Pocket     206
Epilogue     251
Notes     255
Index     297