SPARE PARTS The Story of Medicine Through the History of Transplant Surgery

It's really a pity that Paul Craddock's wide-ranging jaunt through the twisty medical history of transplant surgery isn't matched by a skilled narrator. Craddock's gentle English voice is appealing, but his pacing is stilted and awkward, and it's all too slow. He delves into the personalities, quacks, and science of skin, blood, tooth, kidney, and lung transplants. It can be a bit grim, as an awful lot of animals are sacrificed for the cause. But it's also amazing--female embroiderers taught surgeons the fine art of sewing blood vessels together, lambs' blood for transfusions was preferred because lambs in the Bible are pure, and the poor sold their teeth to rich people who had rotten mouths. If only this fascinating story received the performance it deserves. A.B. © AudioFile 2022, Portland, Maine [Published: AUGUST 2022]