Commentary on Readings

I found the reading on Chapter 5 absolutely fascinating. The most striking quote to me that stood out was on page 23, where Hogarth, says, "Physicians, in particular, remained in the complex position of recognizing slaves’ humanity while supporting a system that sought to rob them of it" (23).  Specifically, I imagine how in modern medicine there is mystification that doctors will treat all of their patients as equals. As we have read previously in Unequal Treatment, there is still evidence of implicit bias. In particular, the study in which researchers showed that actors portraying patients displayed the same symptoms received different medications and dosage depending on race. This is not to say that the treatment in 18th century Jamaica is equal to that of today. Yet, the fact that physician's are placed in a situation where they must treat slaves as the same species is ironic.

Next, removing someone's humanity in a hospital is sicking. In an era in which they at least had some knowledge as to how to treat certain wounds they were left in hospital constrained to be more similar to that of prison. This was of course intentional, yet disgusting that a place meant for healing is just a economic and pragmatic decision not a humane one.