Health and Healing in Early Modern England: Studies in Social and Intellectual History

by Andrew Wear

Overview

The opening studies in this volume, on the revival of Galenic medicine in Continental Europe, provide the context for its focus - England in the 17th century. The author covers the discovery of the circulation of the blood, but it is the underlying components of health and medicine that form the subjects of this book. It deals, notably, with the strong link then perceived between health and the environment, perhaps even more present in people’s minds than today, with the relationship between medicine and religion, and with medical ethics. Further studies discuss the provision made for the sick poor, the popularisation of medicine, and the epistemological basis of learned or university based medicine. A theme throughout is the range of treatments available in the ’medical marketplace’ of the 17th century, from wise women to learned physicians.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781040250808
Publisher:	Taylor & Francis
Publication date:	08/01/2024
Series:	Variorum Collected Studies
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	344

Table of Contents

Contents: Galen in the Renaissance; Explorations in Renaissance writings on the practice of medicine; William Harvey and the ’Way of the Anatomists’ ; Making sense of health and the environment in early modern England; Religious beliefs and medicine in early modern England; Puritan perceptions of illness in 17th-century England; Medical ethics in early modern England; Caring for the sick poor in St Bartholomew Exchange, 1580-1676; The popularization of medicine in early modern England; Medical practice in late 17th-century and early 18th-century England: continuity and union; Epistemology and learned medicine in early modern England; Index.

Editorial Reviews

A collection of 11 essays published between 1981 and 1996 reflecting the shift of emphasis by historians of medicine from the triumph of the existing medical industry to the place of health in society as a whole and in various subpopulations. Among the topics are Galen in the Renaissance, William Harvey and the Way of the Anatomists, Religious beliefs and medicine in early modern England, puritan perceptions of illness in 17th-century England, medical ethics during the period, caring for the sick poor in St. Bartholomew Exchange 1580-1676, the popularization of medicine, and epistemology and learned medicine. The essays are reproduced from their original publication in a variety of type styles. Annotation c. by Book News, Inc., Portland, Or.

Booknews

'...the volume...stands as a testimony to Wear’s careful scholarship and the outstanding contribution which he has made to the history of medicine. Each paper is thoughtfully crafted and clearly written. For anyone interested in the intellectual history of medicine, this volume will prove particularly rewarding.' Canadian Journal of History, Vol. XXXV

From the Publisher