HomeChronology EntriesDocumentsPeopleLogin

Chronology Entry

Year

1991

Text

Cook, Robin. Vital signs. (London : Macmillan, 1991).
It's about a successful epidemiologist and married woman Marissa Blumenthal. When she discovers that she cannot conceive, her obsession with getting pregnant leads her to investigate the baby-making business. Dr. Blumenthal finds out that she cannot conceive as her fallopian tubes are blocked due to a case of TB, which she feels is extremely rare in current times. She tries to conceive through a modern technique called in vitro fertilization from a very well known fertility clinic, but after four unsuccessful cycles she and her husband start to have differing opinions about continuing their quest for child. This starts to take a toll on their relationship, as Marissa is adamant to go on for the next cycle and her husband thinks that it would be another $10,000 down the drain. Marissa joins a counseling group for such in vitro couples, and meets up with her medical school friend Wendy, who also shares that same medical condition as her. Soon the two women discover that the specific condition is found in numerous women being treated in the clinic where they are getting treated. A suicide (suggested to be a murder) of fellow woman patient in the clinic also add to their curiosity. They break into the clinic and try to read their medical records, which are kept in a highly confidential status in the clinic.
They find out that a pathologist, Dr. Tristan Williams, from a clinic with similar name in Australia, has written a paper about a condition similar to theirs. On the spur of moment, they decide to go to Australia to visit the author. When they inquire about him at the facility, they get negative responses and are made to believe that they have made a wasted trip. When Wendy is killed in an unexpected accident involving shark, Marissa feel that her death is more than an unfortunate accident. After few fruitless efforts to find Dr. Williams, Marissa meets him in his current assignment. From him she learns about a practice where pairs of Chinese citizens who were smuggled into Australia work in the clinic regularly. Tristan tells Marissa that due to the paper he wrote, the FCA has taken retaliatory steps against him, like branding him with drugs and killing his wife two years ago. He has had to be constantly on the run, which made him send his only son to live with his in-laws to keep him safe. Marissa and Tristan team up together to get to the bottom of the mystery.
Tristan suggests that there had to be a drug trafficking involved since the illegal Chinese workers were transported from the Republic of China and moved into Australia through Hong Kong. They decide to visit Hong Kong. In Hong Kong, as they try to get information on how they are able to transport people from China to Hong Kong, there are two more attempts to kill them. Both the attempts fail. During one attempt, Marissa's husband, who comes to Hong Kong to take Marissa back home, is killed by mistake. Finally, they get to meet one such pair who is to be transported from China to Hong Kong in a boat for the FCA. Marissa discovers that one of the pair was a martial arts expert, and his sole duty was to protect the other. The other person was a rural doctor from China. Marissa and Tristan question the pair about the drug business, but all their answers are negative. Soon, Marissa, Tristan and the Chinese doctor get stranded due to border patrol force.
Marissa discovers that the rural doctors are trained to sterilize women as mitigation by the government to control the population. This sterilization is a simple remedy that can be done without making the patient unconscious. This comes as a shocking revelation, and helps Marissa put together all the things she has gone through. She finds out that the clinic is sterilizing its women patients who are coming in for regular check up. They also fail their initial in vitro cycles by making the fertilization medium more acidic. After 5 or 6 cycles, they let the couple have children. After this discovery, the CDC and FBI get involved to close up these clinics and take legal action. In the end, Marissa marries Tristan and the couple plan to adopt a Chinese baby from Hong Kong.

Mentioned People (1)

Cook, Robin  (New York, N.Y. 1940-) : Arzt, Schriftsteller

Subjects

Literature : Occident : United States of America

Documents (1)

# Year Bibliographical Data Type / Abbreviation Linked Data
1 2005- Wikipedia : http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wikipedia. Web / Wik
  • Source: Willem van Ruysbroeck. Itinerarium fratris Willielmi de Rubruquis de ordine fratrum Minorum, Galli, Anno gratia 1253 ad partes Orientales. [Bericht seiner Reise im Auftrag von Louis IX. an den mongolischen Hof mit Beschreibung seiner geographischen Beobachtungen]. (RubW1, Publication)
  • Source: Cobo, Juan. Libro chino intitulado Beng Sim Po Cam que quiere dezir Espejo rico del claro coraçon, o Riquezas y espejo con que se enriquezca, y donde se mire et claro y limpio coraçon. (Manila : [s.n.], 1593). Übersetzung von Fan, Liben. Ming xin bao jian. [Erste Übersetzung eines chinesisches Buches].
    明心寶鑑 (Cobo1, Publication)
  • Source: Petlin, Ivan. Pervye russkie diplomaty v Kitae : "Rospis'" I. Petlina i stateinyi spisok F.I. Baikova. (Moskva : Nauka, 1966). [Bericht seiner diplomatischen Mission durch die Mongolei bis Beijing]. [Der Originalbericht wurde in London in Purchas, Samuel. Pilgrims. Vol. 14, 1625 gedruckt]. (Petl1, Publication)
  • Source: Meister, George. Der orientalisch-indianische Kunst- und Lust-Gärtner. (Dresden : Selbstverlag, 1692). [Eintragungen über den Gartenbau in Ostasien]. (MeiG1, Publication)
  • Source: Psalmanazar, George. An historical and geographical description of Formosa, an island subject to the emperor of Japan : giving an account of the religion, customs, manners, &c., of the inhabitants : together with a relation of what happen'd to the author in his travels : particularly his conferences with the Jesuits, and others, in several parts of Europe : also the history and reasons of his conversion to Christianity, with his objections against it (in defence of paganism) and their answers ...(London : Printed for D. Brown, 1704). [Er behauptete, der erste Ureinwohner Formosas zu sein, der nach Europa kam].
    https://archive.org/details/historicalgeogra00psal. (Psal3, Publication)
  • Source: Ascoli, Giuseppe d' ; Tours, François de ; Fano, Domenico da. Vocabulario Thibettano scritto con caratteri proprii ed esplicato con lettere Latine, e modo di pronunciarlo; estratto del Padre Domenico da Fano Capucino del Ditionario, ch'egli haveva fatto e portato in Europa, quando venne l'anno 1714 per informare la sacra congregazione de propaganda fide dello stato di quella Novella missione per trattare in Roma lo stabilimento di esta Missione. [Erstes von Europäern zusammengestelltes lateinisch-tibetisches Wörterbuch. Unveröffentlichtes Manuskript in der Bibliothèque nationale Paris]. (Asc1, Publication)
  • Source: Pillement, Jean-Baptiste. A new book of Chinese designs. (London : D. Voisin, 1755). (Pill1, Publication)
  • Source: Pillement, Jean-Baptiste. Etudes de différentes figures chinoises. (London : Charles Leviez, 1758). (Pill3, Publication)
  • Source: Pillement, Jean-Baptiste. Livre de chinois. (London : Publish'd according to Act of Parliament, 1758). (Pill4, Publication)
  • Source: Pillement, Jean-Baptiste. Families chinoises. (London : [s.n.], 1759). (Pill6, Publication)
  • Source: Pillement, Jean-Baptiste. Scènes chinoises. (London : [s.n.], 1759). (Pill7, Publication)
  • Source: Pillement, Jean-Baptiste. Recueil des tentes chinoises. (Paris : Leviez, 1770). (Pill2, Publication)
  • Source: Westall, William. Foreign scenery : a series of views of picturesque and romantic scenery in Madeira, the Cape of Good Hope, Timor, China, Prince of Wales's Island, Bombay, Mahratta country, St. Helena, and Jamaica : from drawings made in those countries. (London : T. Cadell and W. Davies, 1811). [Besuch 1803 von Guangzhou]. (WesW1, Publication)
  • Source: Disputes in China ; or, Harlequin and the Hong Kong merchant. [Pantomine, Erstaufführung Coburg Theatre, London 1822 ; mit Joseph Grimaldi ; Bühnenbilder von Clarkson Frederick Stanfield]. (Disp1, Publication)
  • Source: Pillement, Jean-Baptiste. Les cinq sens chinoises de nature. (London : Charles Leviez, 1859). (Pill5, Publication)
  • Source: Paasch, Carl. Die Kaiserlich deutsche Gesandtschaft in China : eine Denkschrift über den Fall Carl Paasch für die dt. Landesvertretungen, insbesondere den Reichstag. (Leipzig : Im Selbstverlage des Verfassers, 1892).
    https://digital.staatsbibliothek-berlin.de/werkansicht?PPN=PPN610
    163698&PHYSID=PHYS_0001&DMDID=.
    [Nachdem
    er sich bei Geschäften in China betrogen glaubte, verfasste Paasch eine Schrift, in welcher er die Beziehungen des deutschen Gesandten in China, Max von Brandt, zu Geschäftsleuten und Bankiers verurteilte. Theodor Fontane bezeichnete Paasch in einem Brief als Verrückten]. (Paa1, Publication)
  • Source: Weiss, Fritz Max. Tschungking. In : Handelsberichte über das In- und Ausland ; Serie 2, No 82 (1906). [Chongqing]. (Weiss1, Publication)
  • Source: Weiss, Fritz Max. Tengyüe. In : Handelsberichte über das In- und Ausland ; Serie 2, No 112 (1908). [Tengyue, Yunnan]. (Weiss3, Publication)
  • Source: Weiss, Fritz Max. Das Berg- und Hüttenwesen der Provinz Yünnan. In : Berichte über Handel und Industrie ; Bd. 11, Nr. 8 (1908). (Weiss4, Publication)
  • Source: Weiss, Fritz Max. Von Bhamo nach Tengyüe. In : Mitteilungen des Seminars für Orientalische Sprachen an der Friedrich Wilhelm Universität zu Berlin ; Jg. 12 (1909). (Weiss5, Publication)
  • Source: Weiss, Fritz Max. Reise durch die Eingeborenenstaaten in Westzetschuan. In : Petermanns Mitteilungen ; vol. 56, pt. 2 (1910). [Sichuan]. (Weiss2, Publication)
  • Source: Weiss, Fritz Max. Reise durch die Engeborenenstaaten in Westszetschuan. In : Permanns geographische Mitteilungen ; Bd. 2, Nr. 2 (1910). [Sichuan]. (Weiss6, Publication)
  • Source: Weiss, Fritz Max. Das Chienchangtal. In : Berichte über Handel und Industrie ; Bd. 14, Nr. 1 (1912). [Jianchang, Sichuan ?]. (Weiss7, Publication)
  • Source: Weiss, Fritz Max. Die Provinz Yünnan, ihre Handels- und Verkehrsverhältnisse. In : Mitteilungen des Seminars für Orientalische Sprachen zu Berlin ; Bd. 15, Nr. 1 (1912). (Weiss8, Publication)
  • Source: [Balzac, Honoré de]. Ai chui lu. Ba'erzhake yuan zhu ; Lin Shu, Chen Jialin yi shu. In : Xiao shuo yue bao ; vol. 5, no 7-10 (1914). = (Shanghai : Shang wu yin shu guan, 1915). (Shuo bu cong shu ; 2, 43).
    Übersetzung von :
    Balzac, Honoré de. Adieu. = Souvenirs soldatesques ; adieu. In : Emile de Girardin (1830). = Balzac, Honoré de. Scènes de la vie militaire. (Paris : Mame et Delaunay, 1832).
    Balzac, Honoré de. Jésus-Christ en Flandre. In : Balzac, Honoré de. Romans et contes philosophiques. (Paris : C. Gosselin, 1831).
    Balzac, Honoré de. L'auberge rouge. In : Revue de Paris (1831). = Balzac, Honoré de. Nouveaux contes philosophiques. (Paris : C. Gosselin, 1832).
    Balzac, Honoré de. Réquisitionaire. In : Balzac, Honoré de. Romans et contes philosophiques. (Paris : C. Gosselin, 1831).
    哀吹錄 (Lin83, Publication)
  • Source: [Gorky, Maksim]. Ying ge. Tian Tui yi. In : Yu wai xiao shuo ji (1920). Übersetzung von Gorky, Maksim. Pesnya o burevestnike. In : Zhizn magazine (April 1901). = Song of the stormy petrel. In : Cosmopolitan ; no 40 (Jan. 1906). = L'annonciateur de la tempête. (Paris : Mercure de France, 1905).
    鹰歌 (GorM5, Publication)
  • Source: Shanghai evening post and mercury. [Gegründed von Carl Crow ; ed. by Randall Gould]. (Shanghai : Post-Mercury Co., 1929-1949). (Goul1, Periodical)
  • Source: Wang Baochuan. Lady precious stream : an old Chinese play done into English according to its traditional style. Done into English according to its traditional style by S. I. Hsiung [Xiong Shiyi] ; with a preface by Lascelles Abercrombie.(London : Methuen, 1934). [Aufführung des People's National Theatre, unter der Regie von Nancy Price und Xiong Shiyi im Little Theatre, London, 1935 ; Erstaufführung eines chinesischen Regisseurs im Westen]. (Xiong1, Publication)
  • Source: [Andreyev, Leonid Nikolaevich]. Qi ge jiao si de ren. Xia Laidi yi. (Shanghai : Jin wu shu dian, 1928). Übersetzung von Andreyev, Leonid Nikolaevich. Rasskaz o semi povieshennykh. In : Literaturno-khudozhestvennyi al'manakh. Vol. 5 (St Petersburg: Shipovnik, 1908). = (Berlin : J. Ladyschnikow, 1909). = Les sept pendus ; La vie d'un pope. (Paris : Charpentier, 1911). = The seven that were hanged. (New York, N.Y. : Boni and Liveright, 1918). = Die Geschichte von den sieben Gehenkten. (Berlin : J. Ladyschnikow, 1908).
    七個絞死的人 (And42, Publication)
  • Source: [Balzac, Honoré de]. Liang shi ren : ren xian xi ju (Huan mie san bu zuo zhi yi) Wai sheng sheng huo zhi chang jing. Ba'erzhake zhu ; Gao Mingkai yi. (Shanghai : Hai yan shu dian, 1947). Übersetzung von Balzac, Honoré de. Les deux poètes. In : Balzac, Honoré de. Illusions perdues. T. 1-3. (Paris : Werdet ; Souverain ; Furne, 1836-1843). (La comédie humaine. Scènes de la vie de province).
    兩詩人 : 人間喜劇(幻滅三部作之一)外省生活之場景 (BalH48, Publication)
  • Source: Montell, Gösta. Unter Göttern und Menschen : Erinnerungen an glückliche Jahre in Peking. (Leipzig : F.A. Brockhaus, 1948). [Beijing]. (MonG1, Publication)
  • Source: [Stendhal]. Hong yu hei. Sidanda'er zhu ; Luo Yujun yi. (Buxiang : Zheng zhong shu ju, 1949). (Xin yi wen cong han). Übersetzung von Stendhal. Le rouge et le noir : chronique du XIXème siècle. (Paris : Lavasseur, 1830).
    紅與黑 (Sten10, Publication)
  • Source: [Feuchtwanger, Lionel. Das Haus am grünen Weg]. Han Shizhong yi. In : Yi wen ; no 3 (1958). Übersetzung von Feuchtwanger, Lionel. Das Haus am grünen Weg. In : Feuchtwanger, Lionel. Panzerkreuzer Potemkin und andere Erzählungen. (Berlin : Aufbau-Verlag, 1946). (Feu1, Publication)
  • Source: Veltheim-Ostrau, Hans-Hasso von. Tagebücher aus Asien. (Düsseldorf : Claassen Verlag, 1965). [Veltheim-Ostrau hat China nie betreten, sein Wissen wird ihm von Richard Wilhelm übermittelt].
    Bd. 3 : Götter und Menschen zwischen Indien und China. (Velt1, Publication)
  • Source: [Shakespeare, William]. Shi si hang shi. Shashibiya zhu ; Liang Zongdai yi. (Beijing : Ren min wen xue chu ban she, 1978). (Shashibiya quan ji ; 11). Übersetzung von Shakespeare, William. The sonnets. (London : Thomas Thorpe, 1609).
    十四行诗 (LiaZ5, Publication)
  • Source: [Dürrenmatt, Friedrich]. Fa guan he ta de gui zi shou. Zhang Peifen yi. In : Shi jie wen xue ; no 1 (1978). = Zhang Peifen, Gao Jianqiu yi. (Beijing : Qunzhong chu ban she, 1997). (Shi jie zhen tan jing xian ming zhu wen ku). Übersetzung von Dürrenmatt, Friedrich. Der Richter und sein Henker. In : Der Schweizerische Beobachter ; Folge 1-8 (15. Dez. 1950-31. März 1951). = (Einsiedeln : Benziger, 1952).
    法官和他的刽子手 (Dürr2, Publication)
  • Source: [Tieck, Ludwig]. Chuan xue zi de mao. Ailixi Kaisitena zhu ; Zhu Xiaoting yi. (Nanjing : Jiangsu ren min chu ban she, 1979). Übersetzung von Tieck, Ludwig. Der gestiefelte Kater. In : Tieck, Ludwig. Volksmährchen. Hrsg. von Peter Leberecht [Ludwig Tieck]. Bd. 1-3. (Berlin: Nicolai 1797).
    穿靴子的猫 (Tie1, Publication)
  • Source: [Pushkin, Aleksandr Sergeevich]. Yu fu he jin yu de gu shi. Puxijin shi ; Ge Baochuan yi ; Liu Yongkai hui. (Beijing : Ren min mei shu chu ban she, 1980). Übersetzung von Pushkin, Aleksandr Sergeevich. Skazka o rybake i rybke. In : Biblioteka dlya chteniya ; May (1835). = The tale of the fisherman and the fish. In : Pushkin, Aleksandr Sergeevich. The Russian wonderland : a metrical translation from the Russian. (New York, N.Y. : Paisley Press, 1936).
    漁夫和金魚的故事 (Pus84, Publication)
  • Source: [Fabre, Augustin]. Fapei'er. Fapei'er zuo zhe ; Zhang Pinghe yi zhe ; Liang Shiqiu zhu bian. (Taibei : Ming ren chu ban shi ye gu fen you xian gong si, 1982). (Ming ren wei ren zhuan ji quan ji ; 8). Übersetzung von Fabre, Augustin. Jean-Henri Fabre le naturaliste. (Rodez : Impr. Carrère, 1924).
    法培爾 (LiaS9, Publication)
  • Source: [Pushkin, Aleksandr Sergeevich]. Hei tao huang hou ji qi ta. Puxijin zhu ; Xiao Shan yi. (Chengdu : Sichuan ren min chu ban she, 1982). Übersetzung von Pushkin, Aleksandr Sergeevich. Pikovaya dama. In : Biblioteka dlya chteniya ; March (1834). = La dame de pique. (St. Peterburg : Impr. du journal de Saint-Pétersbourg, 1849). = Pique Dame. (München : Hyperion Verlag, 1920).= The queen of spades. (London : Chapman and Hall, 1894).
    黑桃皇后及其他 (Pus17, Publication)
  • Source: [Tieck, Ludwig]. Jin fa Aikebei'erte. Wang Kecheng, Pei Shengli yi. (Shanghai : Shanghai yi wen chu ban she, 1991). Übersetzung von Tieck, Ludwig. Der blonde Eckbert. In : Volksmährchen. Hrsg. von Peter Leberecht [Ludwig Tieck]. Bd. 1-3. (Berlin: Nicolai 1797).
    金发艾克贝尔特 (Tie2, Publication)
  • Source: [Schlegel, Karl Wilhelm Friedrich von. Fragmente des Athenaeums]. Li Bojie yi. (Beijing : San lian chu ban she, 1996). Übersetzung von Schlegel, Karl Wilhelm Friedrich von. Athenaeum. Bd. 1-3. ([Berlin : F. Vieweg, 1798-1800). (SchlF1, Publication)
  • Source: [Pushkin, Aleksandr Sergeevich]. Hei tao huang hou. Puxijin zhu ; Fu Zhiying yi xie ; Zhuse Leifu [Iassen Ghiuselev] hui tu. (Taibei : Taiwan mai keg u fen you xian gong si, 1996). (Da shi ming zuo hui ben ; 44). Übersetzung von Pushkin, Aleksandr Sergeevich. Pikovaya dama. In : Biblioteka dlya chteniya ; March (1834). = La dame de pique. (St. Peterburg : Impr. du journal de Saint-Pétersbourg, 1849). = Pique Dame. (München : Hyperion Verlag, 1920).= The queen of spades. (London : Chapman and Hall, 1894).
    黑桃皇后 (Pus15, Publication)
  • Source: [Pushkin, Aleksandr Sergeevich]. Hei tao huang hou. Puxijin zuo zhe ; Feng Chun deng yi ; Yang Wuneng zhu bian. (Chengdu : Sichuan wen yi chu ban she, 1996). (Shi jie zhong pian ming zhu lin ku). Übersetzung von Pushkin, Aleksandr Sergeevich. Pikovaya dama. In : Biblioteka dlya chteniya ; March (1834). = La dame de pique. (St. Peterburg : Impr. du journal de Saint-Pétersbourg, 1849). = Pique Dame. (München : Hyperion Verlag, 1920).= The queen of spades. (London : Chapman and Hall, 1894).
    黑桃皇后 (Pus16, Publication)
  • Source: [Aitmatov, Chingiz]. Bai lun chuan. Aitematuofu zhu ; Li Gang deng yi. (Beijing : Ren min wen xue chu ban she, 1999). Übersetzung von Aitmatov, Chingiz. Belyi porokhod : povest'. In : Novyj mir ; no 1 (1970). = (Moskva : Sov. Pisatel', 1980). = Il battello bianco : dopo la fiaba. (Bari : De Donato, 1972). = Der weisse Dampfer : nach einem Märchen. (Berlin : Verlag Volk und Welt, 1971).
    白轮船 (Ait5, Publication)
  • Source: Roerich, Nikolaj Konstantinovic. Altai-Himalaya : a travel diary. With 20 reproductions from paintings. (London : Jarrolds, 1930). (Roer1, Publication)
  • Source: Concessions in Tianjin : https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Concessions_in_Tianjin (Tianjin1, Publication)
  • Source: Zhao, Rugua. Si jia li ye. (um 1225). [Erste chinesische Beschreibung von Sizilien].
    斯加里野 (ZhaoR1, Publication)