Skip to main content
Unplaced
Edit position
Edit position

No position recorded yet. Picking a shelf here sets the manual override.

Genetics in the madhouse : the unknown history of human heredity
Diagnose this book
Open in Vernon Browser

Genetics in the madhouse : the unknown history of human heredity

by Theodore M. Porter

This history explores how the collection and categorisation of hereditary data in nineteenth-century asylums, prisons, and schools laid the foundations for modern human genetics and eugenics.

Accession 13796 ISBN 9780691164540 Publisher Princeton University Press
Book Images
Reference and live side by side Hover to see live images
Reference
Genetics in the madhouse : the unknown history of human heredity cover
Live
Genetics in the madhouse : the unknown history of human heredity live spine
No live
Genetics in the madhouse : the unknown history of human heredity live spine
Genetics in the madhouse : the unknown history of human heredity cover
No live
TAGS
Curated Derived
Biography Biology Family and Society History Life Sciences Medicine Nature Professions Psychology Science Social Sciences
CONNECTIONS
No connections
State
on_shelf
True
position_updated_at
never
orientation
unknown
Details

Physical

binding_type
Hard Back
dimensions
none captured
spine_text
none captured

Metadata

Book form
LOCATION HISTORY
M:N3:20 2 Current vertical
2 days, 2 hours ago
4 days, 22 hours ago
Vernon snapshot
View live

Frozen copy of Vernon's record from the last sync. Fields tagged flow back into the Pulse record.

Last synced 2026-05-21 01:02 (2 weeks, 2 days ago)

Identity

name→ title
Genetics in the madhouse : the unknown history of human heredity
vernon_id
21985
accession_no→ accession_number
13796
vernon_slug
genetics-in-the-madhouse-the-unknown-history-of-human-heredity-theodore-m-porter

Drives Pulse state

curr_loc_status→ on_shelf
On Shelf
location_name
Zone N3/Level 2 (Mezzanine)/Phrontisterion/MONA
location_reason
On Shelf
isbn_issn→ isbn (when valid)
9780691164540

Descriptive

production_date
2018
object_type
Books/Document genres/Information forms/Visual and Verbal Communication
object_status
Accessioned
brief_description
Theodore Porter draws on untapped archival evidence from across Europe and North America to bring to light the hidden history behind modern genetics. He looks at the institutional use of pedigree charts, censuses of mental illness, medical-social surveys, and other data techniques--innovative quantitative practices that were worked out in the madhouse long before the manipulation of DNA became possible in the lab. Porter argues that asylum doctors developed many of the ideologies and methods of what would come to be known as eugenics, and deepens our appreciation of the moral issues at stake in data work conducted on the border of subjectivity and science.

Subjects & people

authors→ author (initial fill only)
Theodore M. Porter
tags→ tags
Science, Psychology, Medicine, Life sciences, History, Persons, Biology, Genetics, Psychology, Pathological, Neurology, Heredity, Professional employees, Employees, Health, Physiology, Psychiatry, Medicine and psychology, Psychology, Applied, Mental health, Mental illness, Mental illness -- Treatment, Medical personnel, Genetics -- Technique, Mental health personnel, Medicine -- History, Mentally ill [The], Sick [The], Nature and nurture, Eugenics
subject_people
subject_objects

Cover image

vernon_cover_image_id→ cover_image
22068

Raw Vernon JSON

click to inspect

The source payload behind the snapshot above.

Use ⌘F to search once expanded.
{7 keys}
"slug": "genetics-in-the-madhouse-the-unknown-history-of-human-heredity-theodore-m-porter"
"opacObjectId": "21985"
"opacCollection": {1 keys}
"opacCollectionId": "1"
"imagesCollection": {2 keys}
"images": [1 items]
"[0]": {5 keys}
"imageId": "22068"
"cssColors": [3 items]
"[0]": {9 keys}
"hex": "eee8aa"
"hue": 55
"rank": 1
"presence": 70.97
"colorName": "palegoldenrod"
"lightness": 80
"colorGroup": "yellow"
"saturation": 67
"formattedColorName": "pale goldenrod"
"[1]": {9 keys}
"hex": "cd853f"
"hue": 30
"rank": 2
"presence": 16.91
"colorName": "peru"
"lightness": 53
"colorGroup": "brown"
"saturation": 59
"formattedColorName": "peru"
"[2]": {9 keys}
"hex": "d2b48c"
"hue": 34
"rank": 3
"presence": 6.15
"colorName": "tan"
"lightness": 69
"colorGroup": "brown"
"saturation": 44
"formattedColorName": "tan"
"rawColors": [7 items]
"[0]": {6 keys}
"hex": "ece1b9"
"hue": 47
"rank": 1
"presence": 70.97
"lightness": 82
"saturation": 57
"[1]": {6 keys}
"hex": "d69e3b"
"hue": 38
"rank": 2
"presence": 16.91
"lightness": 53
"saturation": 65
"[2]": {6 keys}
"hex": "4e4529"
"hue": 45
"rank": 3
"presence": 5.36
"lightness": 23
"saturation": 31
"[3]": {6 keys}
"hex": "c9af71"
"hue": 42
"rank": 4
"presence": 6.15
"lightness": 61
"saturation": 44
"[4]": {6 keys}
"hex": "6f715f"
"hue": 66
"rank": 5
"presence": 0.16
"lightness": 40
"saturation": 8
"[5]": {6 keys}
"hex": "a8aa93"
"hue": 65
"rank": 6
"presence": 0.41
"lightness": 62
"saturation": 11
"[6]": {6 keys}
"hex": "7f725f"
"hue": 35
"rank": 7
"presence": 0.05
"lightness": 43
"saturation": 14
"imageLabels": [5 items]
"[0]": {5 keys}
"count": 19411
"score": 82.02
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Font"
"imageLabelId": 12
"[1]": {5 keys}
"count": 19018
"score": 77.88
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Publication"
"imageLabelId": 23
"[2]": {5 keys}
"count": 1673
"score": 64.99
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Parallel"
"imageLabelId": 107
"[3]": {5 keys}
"count": 10019
"score": 63.43
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Rectangle"
"imageLabelId": 11
"[4]": {5 keys}
"count": 2395
"score": 52.2
"status": "auto_verified"
"imageLabel": "Event"
"imageLabelId": 46
"imageDerivatives": [6 items]
"[0]": {4 keys}
"url": "https://browser.mona.net.au/records/images/large/7938/647c3d185f507fc215841c82eea953126c1a8059.jpg"
"width": "548"
"height": "800"
"identifier": "LARGE"
"[1]": {4 keys}
"url": "https://browser.mona.net.au/records/images/medium/7938/647c3d185f507fc215841c82eea953126c1a8059.jpg"
"width": "274"
"height": "400"
"identifier": "MEDIUM"
"[2]": {4 keys}
"url": "https://browser.mona.net.au/records/images/nano/7938/647c3d185f507fc215841c82eea953126c1a8059.jpg"
"width": "24"
"height": "35"
"identifier": "NANO"
"[3]": {4 keys}
"url": "https://browser.mona.net.au/records/images/small/7938/647c3d185f507fc215841c82eea953126c1a8059.jpg"
"width": "103"
"height": "150"
"identifier": "SMALL"
"[4]": {4 keys}
"url": "https://browser.mona.net.au/records/images/tiny/7938/647c3d185f507fc215841c82eea953126c1a8059.jpg"
"width": "51"
"height": "75"
"identifier": "TINY"
"[5]": {4 keys}
"url": "https://browser.mona.net.au/records/images/xlarge/7938/647c3d185f507fc215841c82eea953126c1a8059.jpg"
"width": "822"
"height": "1200"
"identifier": "XLARGE"
"totalImages": 1
"objectSearchScore": 0.3118719
"opacObjectFieldSets": [40 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "accession_no"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "13796"
"[1]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "name"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"value": "Genetics in the madhouse : the unknown history of human heredity / Theodore M. Porter"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "title"
"value": "Genetics in the madhouse : the unknown history of human heredity / Theodore M. Porter"
"[2]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "other_name"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[3]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "artist_last_first"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "Porter, Theodore M."
"[4]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "prod_pri_date"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"value": "2018"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [2 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "earliest_date"
"value": "2018-01-01Z"
"[1]": {2 keys}
"key": "latest_date"
"value": "2018-12-31Z"
"[5]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "prod_pri_date_notes"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[6]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "edition"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[7]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "brief_desc"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "Theodore Porter draws on untapped archival evidence from across Europe and North America to bring to light the hidden history behind modern genetics. He looks at the institutional use of pedigree charts, censuses of mental illness, medical-social surveys, and other data techniques--innovative quantitative practices that were worked out in the madhouse long before the manipulation of DNA became possible in the lab. Porter argues that asylum doctors developed many of the ideologies and methods of what would come to be known as eugenics, and deepens our appreciation of the moral issues at stake in data work conducted on the border of subjectivity and science."
"[8]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "measure_desc"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[9]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "credit_line"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[10]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "curr_loc_status"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"value": "On Shelf"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "curr_loc_status:"On Shelf""
"[11]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "ob_status"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "Accessioned"
"[12]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "lender"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[13]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "copyright_owner"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[14]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "copyright_type"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[15]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "copyright_start"
"opacObjectFields": [0 items]
"[16]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "copyright_expiry"
"opacObjectFields": [0 items]
"[17]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "copyright_notes"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[18]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "curr_loc"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "Zone N3/Level 2 (Mezzanine)/Phrontisterion/MONA"
"[19]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "object_type"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"value": "Books/Document genres/Information forms/Visual and Verbal Communication"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "object_type:"Books/Document genres/Information forms/Visual and Verbal Communication""
"[20]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "collection"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"value": "Main Collection/Library"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "collection:"Main Collection/Library""
"[21]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "prod_pri_place"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "Princeton/New Jersey/United States of America"
"[22]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "prod_pri_publisher"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "Princeton University Press"
"[23]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "physical_notes"
"opacObjectFields": [2 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "xii, 447 pages ; 25 cm."
"[1]": {1 keys}
"value": "Includes bibliographical references and index."
"[24]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "language"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "English"
"[25]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "isbn_issn"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "9780691164540"
"[26]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "user_sym_1"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "363.92 POR"
"[27]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "usual_loc_being"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": "Zone N3/Level 2 (Mezzanine)/Phrontisterion/MONA"
"[28]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_class"
"opacObjectFields": [12 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"value": "History"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "subject_class:"History""
"[1]": {2 keys}
"value": "Medicine -- History/Life sciences/Science"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "subject_class:"Medicine -- History/Life sciences/Science""
"[2]": {2 keys}
"value": "Mental health personnel/Medical personnel/Professional employees/Employees/Persons"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "subject_class:"Mental health personnel/Medical personnel/Professional employees/Employees/Persons""
"[3]": {2 keys}
"value": "Mental health/Health/Physiology/Biology/Life sciences/Science"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "subject_class:"Mental health/Health/Physiology/Biology/Life sciences/Science""
"[4]": {2 keys}
"value": "Mental illness -- Treatment/Psychiatry/Medicine and psychology/Psychology, Applied/Psychology"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "subject_class:"Mental illness -- Treatment/Psychiatry/Medicine and psychology/Psychology, Applied/Psychology""
"[5]": {2 keys}
"value": "Mental illness/Psychology, Pathological/Neurology/Medicine/Life sciences/Science"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "subject_class:"Mental illness/Psychology, Pathological/Neurology/Medicine/Life sciences/Science""
"[6]": {2 keys}
"value": "Mentally ill [The]/Sick [The]/Persons"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "subject_class:"Mentally ill [The]/Sick [The]/Persons""
"[7]": {2 keys}
"value": "Genetics/Biology/Life sciences/Science"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "subject_class:"Genetics/Biology/Life sciences/Science""
"[8]": {2 keys}
"value": "Genetics -- Technique/Biology/Life sciences/Science"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "subject_class:"Genetics -- Technique/Biology/Life sciences/Science""
"[9]": {2 keys}
"value": "Eugenics"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "subject_class:"Eugenics""
"[10]": {2 keys}
"value": "Heredity/Biology/Life sciences/Science"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "subject_class:"Heredity/Biology/Life sciences/Science""
"[11]": {2 keys}
"value": "Nature and nurture/Heredity/Biology/Life sciences/Science"
"opacObjectFieldAttributes": [1 items]
"[0]": {2 keys}
"key": "search"
"value": "subject_class:"Nature and nurture/Heredity/Biology/Life sciences/Science""
"[29]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_date"
"opacObjectFields": [0 items]
"[30]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_event"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[31]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_period"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[32]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_object"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[33]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_person"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[34]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "subject_place"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[35]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "assoc_person"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[36]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "assoc_place"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[37]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "assoc_event"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[38]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "assoc_object"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"[39]": {2 keys}
"identifier": "user_sym_9"
"opacObjectFields": [1 items]
"[0]": {1 keys}
"value": ""
"relationshipsCollection": {2 keys}
"relationships": [1 items]
"[0]": {4 keys}
"relatedRecords": [1 items]
"[0]": {3 keys}
"slug": "theodore-m-porter"
"title": "Theodore M. Porter"
"relatedRecordId": "26780"
"relationshipId": "object_prod_pri_person"
"relatedRecordType": "person"
"totalRelatedRecords": 1
"totalRelationships": 1
Topics and Themes