Description
This survey course examines the history of the dominant form of medicine in the world that which developed in
Western Europe and America between 500 B.C.E. and the twentieth century. Among the various sciences, medicine
stands apart. In its modern form, it is both science and art. The study of the history of medicine is more than a mere
background to contemporary science it serves as a platform for understanding how past cultures saw themselves and
their place in the world. The history of medicine reflects changing cultural understandings of the world and the place of
humanity within it. Medicine, or medical history, can also have a profound effect upon what we believe about nature
and ourselves, influencing our art, literature and philosophy. The majority of this course will deal with medical trends,
treatments, and perspectives. These can strike us as both amusing and disturbing, but their greatest value lies in their
power to prompt us to reexamine our own beliefs and assump