

History, or Just Horror? On Historical Medical Images - Hooke
http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/history/2014/11/old_medical_photographs_are_images_of_syphilis_and_tuberculosis_patients.single.html

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johnwfinigan
In the last several months, I listened to the Hardcore History podcast about
World War I. I am still struggling with the same question as the article
poses, but applied to war instead of disease. I want to believe that it's
respectful to try to understand these experiences on their own terms, maybe
especially because of how horrible they were. But at other times I remember
that I can walk away whenever I want, and so I can never understand, and if I
enjoy the podcast (for example), is that exploitative?

I think it is important not to forget these people, but aside from that, no
answer here.

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davidgerard
The horror is the history.

Forgetting that the history is horrible is where the _actually dangerous_
anti-vaccine lunatics came from, for instance.

The article, of course, ignores this.

