Mike Putzak Discussion Questions

Historiography Question:
Tomes asserts in her introduction that she is writing in response to historical demographers who have assumed that "the changing of personal and household practices had little to do with the decline in mortality rates from infectious disease that began in the nineteenth century." Tomes, however, finds that there are a number of these practices that are still promoted as a form of disease control. My question is: Is her focus on the changing of practices within the home, with special attention to the changes that were geared toward women successful? Is the evidence she uses convincing enough to make a stand against these historical demographers she mentions in her introduction?

History Question:
Tomes puts a focus on the popular education campaigns that existed around the turn of the 20th century. Though, shortly following the discovery that these campaigns were in fact educating incorrectly, they were put to the wayside since being debunked with "real" science. Tomes states that it is important to study these, as they were influential, although maybe not correct. My question is: Is this study of history, this study of unsuccessful movements, that without much investigation have little relation today, important? Should we be looking at movements, campaigns, events, that historically have been proven to be incorrect? Tomes puts forth the argument that they were influential at the time period, and therefore belong in this book which studies the development of her "gospel of germs." Do we think this is historically significant?