Sir Charles Tupper: fighting doctor to father of confederation

misogyny, Gilman exaggerates his anti-Semitism, arguing that Freud's theories on creativity were universalizations of traits Weininger had considered to be quintessentially Jewish. (Gilman does not deign to tell us why, if Weininger's anti-Semitism was indeed so significant, it was wholly ignored by such openly anti-Semitic readers as Karl Kraus, who celebrated Weininger merely as a misogynist.) The collection ends with two pieces on contemporary subjects, neither of much direct interest to medical historians: the art of R B Kitaj and new Jewish writing in Germany. Although too slight to bear the burden comfortably, both are garnished liberally with portentous reflections on identity, anti-Semitism and diasporism, most of which will be familiar to those who have read any of Gilman's earlier works. What do Rudolf Virchow, Ernesto "Che" Guevara, and the Physician Signers of the Declaration of Independence have in common with the Nova Scotian, Charles Tupper (1821-1915)? All were doctors who found an accord between medicine and politics and chose to enter the public life. More successful than most, Tupper became prime minister of Canada. Yet, only a handful of Canadians has ever heard of him; fewer still know that he was a medic. And, as this new biography shows, Tupper witnessed more defining moments in the history of his country than did the fictional American hero, Forrest Gump. Despite Tupper's elevated place in the nation's history, we have few biographies, and most were written soon after his death. After brief apprenticeships with local doctors, Tupper went to Edinburgh for medical studies, completing his training in 1843. Deeply impressed by his Scottish teachers, he retained a special fondness for J Y Simpson. Back in Nova Scotia, he began a busy general practice in the countryside of his birth. He married and his family grew despite several sad losses over the next decade and a half. In 1852, Tupper was invited to introduce a political figure at a Conservative party meeting. His flair for oratory astounded the speaker as much as his audience. In that memorable debut, he first crossed swords with his long-time, Maritime rival, Joseph Howe, a Liberal party stalwart known for zealous anti-Catholic, anti-French, anti-Canada rhetoric. Adept at speaking for hours without notes, Tupper preached unity, tolerance, and moderation, but he often turned a blind eye to the creeping control of business. Using a wide range of sources, including the published works, archival material, and Tupper family recollections, …