Sickness and the State: Health and Illness in Colonial Malaya, 1870–1940

This unique book is a history of health, disease and its prevention in Malaya under colonial rule. With insight and clarity, it explores the relationships among biology, environment, population and the structures of the state. The book emphasizes the role of medicine in legitimizing colonialism and shows that the ill health of populations was related to the political and social climate. The book integrates history, medical and social theory to offer a compelling account of disease and changing health status under colonialism.