Anglo-European Science and the Rhetoric of Empire : Malaria, Opium, and British Rule in India, 1756D1895

Anglo-European Science and the Rhetoric of Empire presents the recorded facts of alleged medical use of opium in colonial India and British examination and the ultimate acceptance of this practice. Placing the opium controversy in its broad context, the book sheds light on British diplomatic methods for prolonging colonial rule.

A fascinating and intricately woven tale of opium trade, evangelism, scientific discovery and political intrigue, Anglo-European Science and the Rhetoric of Empire: Malaria, Opium and British Rule in India 1756-1895 documents the contribution of a medical misconception to the preservation of British Rule in India. British authorities, desperate to shield the India-China Opium Trade from the escalating criticism of Christian evangelists and missionaries, endorsed the claim that opium prevented and cured malaria. This scientific validation of a vital source of revenue helped decimate the anti-opiumist movement, allowing the Indian government to vastly expand poppy cultivation in the name of both economic prosperity and public health. In this thoroughly researched and immensely readable history, author Paul Winther provides a revealing look at the complex and often unexpected negotiations that enable scientific authority to legitimize political and economic gain.