Eleven Blue Men

Eleven Blue Men is a collection of twelve medical case histories, written by Dr. Berton Roueché, and published by Little, Brown and Company in 1953. The book is a compilation of articles originally published in The New Yorker magazine under the heading "Annals of Medicine."

Overview[edit | edit source]

The title story, "Eleven Blue Men," is based on a real-life outbreak of sodium nitrite poisoning in New York City in 1944. The victims, all men, were found in a state of acute illness, with their skin having turned a bluish color due to methemoglobinemia, a condition caused by exposure to certain chemicals. The case was investigated by the New York City Department of Health, and the source of the poisoning was traced to a restaurant where the men had eaten breakfast.

Stories[edit | edit source]

Each story in the collection presents a medical mystery, often of a public health nature, which is solved through the careful investigation of the symptoms, the patients' history, and the circumstances. The stories are written in a narrative style, with the medical professionals acting as detectives. The cases include outbreaks of botulism, tularemia, and Q fever, among others.

Reception[edit | edit source]

The book was well received by critics and the public, and has been reprinted several times. It is often used in medical and nursing education to illustrate the principles of epidemiology and the importance of careful diagnosis.

Legacy[edit | edit source]

The "Eleven Blue Men" case is often cited in medical literature as an example of how a careful and systematic investigation can solve a seemingly inexplicable outbreak. It has also been the subject of several television dramatizations.