HIST 342 - Topics in 19th Century Social, Medical and Cultural History

(3 credits)

During the course of the nineteenth century, the practice of medicine evolved from that of a manual trade, learned primarily through apprenticeship, to an increasingly specialized profession with close connections to the applied sciences. Watershed advancements in medical science and technology as well as sweeping developments in the organization and status of medical professionals make the study of this historical period crucial to students who wish to acquire an understanding of the historical context of medicine in society and culture in the modern Western world. In this course, students will explore and discuss nineteenth-century texts (literary, professional, and popular) that represent a response to illness and to the role of medicine and medical professionals in modern society and culture. As needed.