Medicine and Society in Early Modern Europe (New Approaches to European History) [Paperback]

Mary Lindemann (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: November 13, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0521423546 | ISBN-13: 978-0521423540

Medicine and Society in Early Modern Europe, offers undergraduate students a concise introduction to a subject rich in historical excitement and interest. Mary Lindemann, a distinguished scholar of the history of medicine, writes with exceptional clarity and examines medicine from a social and cultural perspective rather than a narrowly scientific one. She focuses on the experience of illness and on patients and folk healers as much as on the rise of medical science, doctors and hospitals.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"For students this is an excellent overview of ealry modern Eyropean medical history, and for the academic who is a non-specialist in this field it serves as a valuable introduction." Jrnl of early Modern History

Book Description

Medicine and Society in Early Modern Europe, in the highly successful series of New Approaches, offers undergraduate students a concise introduction to a subject rich in historical excitement and interest. Mary Lindemann, a distinguished scholar of the history of medicine, writes with exceptional clarity and examines medicine from a social and cultural perspective rather than a narrowly scientific one. She focuse s on the experience of illness and on patients and folk healers as much as on the rise of medical science, doctors and hospitals.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 263 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press (November 13, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0521423546
• ISBN-13: 978-0521423540
• Product Dimensions: 8.8 x 6 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #213,608 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An integrated view of medicine in its historical context, January 3, 2002

By 

Linda Oskam "dutch-traveller" (Amsterdam Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Medicine and Society in Early Modern Europe (New Approaches to European History) (Hardcover)

In this book Mary Lindemann describes the practice of medicine in early modern Europe (1500-1800) in its historical context, giving intriguing insights. She emphasizes that until recently this period was seen by medical history scientists as a dark period, in which no medical cure whatsoever was available. Also the advent of medicine was often described as a success story of ingenious, white-coated, university-educated doctors.

In this book, part of the series New Approaches to European History, she takes a look at the practice in this period through the eyes of a modern historian. She puts the developments into a wider perspective including other developments in the society. This leads to some revealing insights.

It may be true that there were not a lot of university-educated doctors around, especially in the countryside, but the place was literaaly swarming with other health providers, such as surgeons, barber-surgeons, apothecaries, midwives and many more people who ofter were quite well educated through a system of guilds. Also, there were quite a lot of public and private initiatives to prevent or counteract outbreaks, give support to the poor and needy and to regulate health and medical practice-related matters.

What remains is the impression that medicine in early modern Europe was less primitive than we often think (some supposedly very modern concepts such as an essential drugs list for apothecaries were already in place in the 17th century), even though there was often no cure available, and that the medical practice was on the one hand solidly anchored in a historical tradition and on the other hand developing rapidly.

4.0 out of 5 stars An integrated view of medicine in its historical context, August 21, 2001

By 

Linda Oskam "dutch-traveller" (Amsterdam Netherlands) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Medicine and Society in Early Modern Europe (New Approaches to European History) (Paperback)

In this book Mary Lindemann describes the practice of medicine in early modern Europe (1500-1800) in its historical context, giving intriguing insights. She emphasizes that until recently this period was seen by medical history scientists as a dark period, in which no medical cure whatsoever was available. Also the advent of medicine was often described as a success story of ingenious, white-coated, university-educated doctors.

In this book, part of the series New Approaches to European History, she takes a look at the practice in this period through the eyes of a modern historian. She puts the developments into a wider perspective including other developments in the society. This leads to some revealing insights.

It may be true that there were not a lot of university-educated doctors around, especially in the countryside, but the place was literaaly swarming with other health providers, such as surgeons, barber-surgeons, apothecaries, midwives and many more people who ofter were quite well educated through a system of guilds. Also, there were quite a lot of public and private initiatives to prevent or counteract outbreaks, give support to the poor and needy and to regulate health and medical practice-related matters.

What remains is the impression that medicine in early modern Europe was less primitive than we often think (some supposedly very modern concepts such as an essential drugs list for apothecaries were already in place in the 17th century), even though there was often no cure available, and that the medical practice was on the one hand solidly anchored in a historical tradition and on the other hand developing rapidly.