Marx and Medicine. Part I: Before the Publication of Das Kapital

All the quotes in this paragraph are from a series of letters from his parents reprinted in Karl Marx and Frederick Engels. Collected Works, Vol. 1. London: Lawrence and Wishart, 1975: 646–52.From hereon this series is referred to as MECW, followed by the volume number.

McLellan D . Karl Marx: His Life and Thought. St Albans: Paladin, 1973: 27–8.

See Padover SK . Karl Marx: An Intimate Biography. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1978: 101–10.

See The World Book Encyclopedia, Volume 15, ‘P’. London: World Book International, 1996: 799–800.Aeschylus's tragedy was entitled Prometheus Bound; ibid.: 800.

These points were made to me by a western general practitioner who also practises in traditional Chinese medicine, Dr Andrew Jan, Whole Health Clinic, Fairfield, Victoria. Saul Padover (op. cit. ref. 3) has a final appendix on Marx's ill health, but it is restricted to the period in which he was writing Das Kapital, so the short comments by a dermatologist and psychiatrist focus on his carbuncles and furuncles only: 639–43.

Engels to Ludwig Kugelmann, 28 April 1871. MECW44: 142–3.

Predictably “Fawksy” gained his nickname because he was born in London on Guy Fawkes night 1849;his real name was Heinrich, after his dead grandfather.

Marx-Engels — hereon in Marx and Engels are abbreviated as M and E respectively — 17 March 1851. MECW 38: 316.

E-M, 6 January 1852. MECW 39: 4.

E-M, 6 January 1852. MECW 39: 567–9. From hereon Marx's wife is simply referred to as “Jenny”.

E-M, 6 January 1852. MECW 39: 16.

E-M, 6 January 1852. MECW 39: 13.

E-M, 6 January 1852. MECW 39: 20. Ten years later, suffering from the same condition, Engels signed a letter to Marx, “Your haemorrhoidarius”!; E-M, 8 and 13 August 1862. MECW 41: 401–2, 405.

M-E, 24 April 1852. MECW 39: 85.

M-E, 24 April 1852. MECW 39: 81, and editors' note: 610.

M-E, 24 April 1852. MECW 39: 181–2.

M-E, 24 April 1852. MECW 39: 183.

M-E, 24 April 1852. MECW 39: 406.

M-E, 24 April 1852. MECW 39: 453–4.

This intersplicing of quotes is from Peters HF . Red Jenny: A Life with Karl Marx. London: Allen and Unwin, 1986: 100; and Briggs A . Marx in London: An Illustrated Guide. London: British Broadcasting Corporation, 1982: 39–40.

Liebknecht W . Karl Marx: Biographical Memoirs. London: Journeyman Press, 1975: 152–4.

M-E, 22 September 1854. MECW 39: 483.

Liebknecht W (op. cit. ref. 21): 134–5.

M-E, 13 February 1855. MECW 39: 522.

M-Kugelmann , 28 December 1862. MECW 42: 435–6.

M-E, 30 March 1855. MECW 39: 529–30.

M-E, 30 March 1855. MECW 39: 533.

Liebknecht W (op. cit. ref. 21): 145.

Liebknecht W (op. cit. ref. 21): 98.

Liebknecht W (op. cit. ref. 21): 98–9.

Jenny-E , around 12 April 1857. MECW 40: 564.

Editors' notes. Jenny-E , around 12 April 1857. MECW 40: 600.

M-E, 24 July 1857. Jenny-E , around 12 April 1857. MECW 40: 148.

E-M, 29 July 1857. Jenny-E , around 12 April 1857. MECW 40: 150.

E-M, 29 July 1857. Jenny-E , around 12 April 1857. MECW 40: 565.

E-M, 29 July 1857. Jenny-E , around 12 April 1857. MECW 40: 149–50.

E-M, 29 July 1857. Jenny-E , around 12 April 1857. MECW 40: 565.

M-E, 29 March and 2 April 1858. MECW: 295, 297, 303–4.

Jenny-M , 9 April 1858. MECW: 569.

Jenny-M , 9 April 1858. MECW: 570.

Jenny-M , 9 April 1858. MECW: 374.

Jenny-M , 9 April 1858. MECW: 354.

Jenny-M , 9 April 1858. MECW: 352.

Jenny-M , 9 April 1858. MECW: 361.

M-E, 25 June 1860. MECW 41: 165.

M-E, 25 June 1860. MECW 41: 214–17.

M-E, 25 June 1860. MECW 41: 218.

M-E, 25 June 1860. MECW 41: 220–1.

M-E, 25 June 1860. MECW 41: 243.

M-E, 25 June 1860. MECW 41: 245.

M-E, 25 June 1860. MECW 41: 243.

M-E, 25 June 1860. MECW 41: 250.

M-E, 25 June 1860. MECW 41: 247.

M-E, 25 June 1860. MECW 41: 453–4.

M-E, 25 June 1860. MECW 41: 460.

M-E, 25 June 1860. MECW 41: 461.

M-E, 25 June 1860. MECW 41: 491.

M-E, 25 June 1860. MECW 41: 587.

M-E, 25 June 1860. MECW 41: 584–5.

M-E, 25 June 1860. MECW 41: 587.

M-E, 25 June 1860. MECW 41: 584–5.

Peters HF (op. cit. ref. 20): 134.

Marx M-Jenny , 10 May 1864. MECW 43: 524.

E-M, 1 May 1864. MECW: 520–1.

E-M, 2 May 1864. MECW: 521–2.

M-Jenny , 13 May 1864. MECW: 525–6.

M-E, 26 May 1864. MECW: 529–30.

E-M, 30 May 1864. MECW: 531.

Philips M-Lion , 25 June 1864. MECW: 543.

M-E, 4 July 1864. MECW: 546.

Freiligrath M-Ferdinand , 12 July 1864. MECW: 548.

M-E, 25 July 1864. MECW: 549–50.

Klings M-Karl , 4 October 1864. MECW 42: 3–4.

M-E, 14 November 1864. MECW: 22; M-Countess Sophie von Hatzfieldt, 16 October 1864. Ibid.: 5; M-Klings , 4 October 1864. Ibid.: 3–4.

von Hatzfieldt M-Countess Sophie , 24 November 1864. MECW: 44.

E-M, 16 November 1864. MECW: 23.

M-E, 4 November 1864. MECW: 12.

M-E, 25 February 1865. MECW: 107.

E-M, 13 May 1865. MECW: 158.

E-M, 20 May 1865. MECW: 160.

E-M, 24 June 1865. MECW: 161.

M-E, 19 August 1865. MECW: 183–4.

M-E, 22 August 1865. MECW: 187.

Meyer M-Sigfrid , 24 January 1866. MECW: 222.

M-E, 10 February 1866. MECW: 223–4.

All quotes in this paragraph are from M-E, 13 February 1866. MECW: 227–8.

Marx M-Laura , 20 March 1866. MECW: 244–6.

M-Kugelmann , 6 April 1866. MECW: 263.

E-M, 6 April 1866. MECW: 257.

M-E, 7 June 1866. MECW: 281.

M-E, 9 June 1866. MECW: 275, 277.

M-E, 21 July 1866. MECW: 295.

M-E, 7 July 1866. MECW: 289.

M-E, 21 July 1866. MECW: 295.

M-E, 7 August 1866. MECW: 303–4.

M-E, 10 November 1866. MECW: 331–2.

E-M, 11 November 1866. MECW: 332–3.

M-E, 19 January 1867. MECW: 343–4.

M-Meyer , 30 April 1867. MECW: 366–7.

M-E, 24 April 1867. MECW: 360.

E-M, 24 April 1867. MECW: 359–61.

E-M, 27 April 1867. MECW: 362.