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Blood, Sweat and Tears
A History of Bodily Fluids
Brief Description
Our ancestors didn’t just take the piss… They used it too. The human body leaks. It oozes. It sweats and spits. It bursts, it bleeds and it squirts. Over the history of humanity, our bodies have evolved into sophisticated vessels for survival, leaving a long trail...
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Blood, Sweat and Tears
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A fascinating exploration of our perception and use of human bodily fluids throughout history.
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Description
Our ancestors didn’t just take the piss… They used it too.
The human body leaks. It oozes. It sweats and spits. It bursts, it bleeds and it squirts. Over the history of humanity, our bodies have evolved into sophisticated vessels for survival, leaving a long trail of fluids in our wake.
Whether we’re coughing it up or swallowing it down, our bodily fluids are essential to our life and health. Yet, in the past couple of centuries, we have developed a difficult relationship with these fluids: today we find pus, poo and vomit unhygienic and even repellent. But this has not always been the case.
In Blood, Sweat and Tears, Ruben Verwaal embarks on a deep dive into the story of our bodily fluids, the changing perceptions around them and the practical uses that have trickled down through the generations. Whether it’s bile or breastmilk, semen or snot, Verwaal examines how each one of our bodily fluids is dripping with symbolism, mythology and its own rich cultural history.
So the next time you have a runny nose, waxy ears, or sweat through your clothes, remember – it wasn’t always as gross as you think.
Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9781835985045
Publisher: Canelo
Format: Paperback / softback
Date Published: 07 May 2026
Country: United Kingdom
Imprint: August Books
Contributors:
- Translated by Andy Brown
- Translated by David McKay
Audience: General / adult
DIMENSIONS
Spine width: 22.0mm
Width: 156.0mm
Height: 234.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 304
About the Author
Ruben E. Verwaal is NWO Rubicon Research Fellow at the Institute for Medical Humanities, Durham University, and curator of the medical collections at the Erasmus University Medical Centre, Rotterdam. He specialises in history of early modern science and medicine, material culture, and critical medical humanities.
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