Bodies, Disease, and Medicine in Early Modern Britain (1500-1800)

Explore the evolution of medical knowledge, practices, and societal impacts in early modern Britain from the sixteenth to the eighteenth centuries in this 12-week course. We will examine the interplay between old and new medical theories, such as Galenic humoral theory and nerve theory, and the practices that defined early modern health care. Throughout the course, we’ll delve into the changing medical landscape, looking at the roles of various medical practitioners, the fluctuating relationships between patients and their carers, and pivotal advancements in medicine, from the discovery of the circulatory system to the invention of vaccines.

This course is for a general audience- no prior knowledge of the history of medicine is needed to enrol. Students require a good standard of English to access material.

Course Content:

· Week 1: Galenic and Aristotelian Legacies in the Early Modern Body (Humoral theory)

· Week 2: Medical Landscape: Practitioners and Patients- 16th Century

· Week 3: Plague: Causes, Symptoms and Societal Impact

· Week 4: What’s in a name? Diagnoses and ‘Disease Identities’

· Week 5: Hospitals and Charitable Organisations

· Week 6: Women’s Roles: Midwifery, Recipes, and Bone-Setting?

By the end of this course, you should be able to:

-explain the Classical theories of the human body which underpinned early modern medicine

-compare the differences and similarities between physicians, apothecaries, and surgeons in early modern Britain

-explain the rise of hospitals and their impact on society

-demonstrate an understanding of how religion and medicine existed together during the early modern period

-identify areas in which early modern women made important medical contributions

-identify aspects of early modern medicine that continue to influence the medical landscape of today