They all took an oath to heal. Yet some ended up experimenting with the very worst—on their patients.

Hippocrates and the oath of the heart.
Girolamo Fracastoro, or the Doctor of the Future.
Samuel Hahnemann and water on the brain.
Charlotte Winslow, or the baby killer.
Doctor Brinkley, or the physician who lost his mouth.
Henry Cotton, or the surgeon of neurosis.

Monkey gland transplants to restore youth, deadly fasting cures, rectal massages to cure hiccups… The history of medicine is full of minds that were, at first glance, brilliant, but that slipped into madness in their relentless attempt to push the limits of what is possible.

From Arnaud de Villeneuve to Andrew Wakefield, these physicians crossed the line between research and insanity. In his book, Michel Guilbert explores their lives and careers, and the excesses of a science willing to do anything to unlock the mysteries of the human body—even if it means sacrificing morality, and sometimes life itself.