Toxic Epidemics: Agent Orange Sickness in Vietnam and the United States

Medical Anthropology
Tak Uesugi

Abstract

Social scientists studying toxic epidemics have often endeavored to shed light on the differences between scientists' and nonscientists' epistemic perspectives. Yet, little attention has been paid to the processes through which a toxic epidemic emerges as a phenomenon. A Luoi Valley of Central Vietnam was extensively sprayed with chemical defoliants (including Agent Orange) during the Vietnam War. The latent toxic effects of these chemicals, however, went largely unnoticed until the late 1990s. By juxtaposing the history through which the notion of "Agent Orange Sickness" emerged in the United States with an ethnographic study of A Luoi, I explore the notion of poison under which Agent Orange became recognizable as a poison.

References

Apr 1, 1985·Teratology·J G Wilson, J Warkany
Sep 1, 1973·Environmental Health Perspectives·A Poland, E Glover
May 15, 1970·Science·K D CourtneyI Mitchell
May 19, 2001·Clinical Medicine : Journal of the Royal College of Physicians of London·S Wessely
Apr 3, 2003·The American Journal of Emergency Medicine·Soumya Ganapathy, Frank L Zwemer
Apr 18, 2003·Nature·Jeanne Mager StellmanCarrie Tomasallo
Nov 12, 2003·Emerging Infectious Diseases·Barry S Hewlett, Richard P Amola
Sep 4, 2004·The American Journal of Chinese Medicine·Myeong Soo LeeSun-Rock Moon
Mar 4, 2005·Social Science & Medicine·Clare Williams
Feb 1, 2006·Environmental Research·Arnold SchecterJohn D Constable
Oct 13, 2006·Current Opinion in Infectious Diseases·M FocaL Saiman
Apr 12, 1974·Science·S Bendix
Mar 20, 2009·Annual Review of Public Health·Stephen M ShortellRaymond J Baxter
Nov 29, 2013·Medical Anthropology Quarterly·Ian Whitmarsh

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Sep 27, 2020·Social Science & Medicine·Trang Thu Do, Andrea Whittaker

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Antimalarial Agents (ASM)

Antimalarial agents, also known as antimalarials, are designed to prevent or cure malaria. Discover the latest research on antimalarial agents here.

Birth Defects

Birth defects encompass structural and functional alterations that occur during embryonic or fetal development and are present since birth. The cause may be genetic, environmental or unknown and can result in physical and/or mental impairment. Here is the latest research on birth defects.

Antimalarial Agents

Antimalarial agents, also known as antimalarials, are designed to prevent or cure malaria. Discover the latest research on antimalarial agents here.

Related Papers

American Journal of Public Health
J H Dwyer, D Flesch-Janys
American Journal of Public Health
J H Dwyer, D Flesch-Janys
© 2021 Meta ULC. All rights reserved