History of Pre-Modern Medicine seminar series, 2017–18

The History of Pre-Modern Medicine seminar series returns this autumn.

Anatomy of the principal parts of the human body. Engraving by J. Blanchin after J. Dumoulin, 1679. Iconographic no. 647800i. Wellcome Images L0040385.

The 2017–18 series – organised by a group of historians of medicine based at London universities and hosted by the Wellcome Library – will commence with four seminars in the autumn term.

The series will be focused on pre-modern medicine, which we take to cover European and extra-European history before the 20th century (antiquity, medieval and early modern history, some elements of 19th-century medicine). The seminars are open to all.

Tuesday 10 October 2017 – Dr Elma Brenner (Wellcome Collection), ‘Leprosy and diet in medieval Normandy’

Tuesday 24 October 2017 – Dr Benedetta Lomi (University of Bristol), ‘The uses of ox-bezoar in pre-modern Japan in ritual and medical practices’

Tuesday 7 November 2017 – Dr Michael Brown (University of Roehampton), ‘Anxiety and compassion: emotions and the surgical encounter in early 19th-century Britain’

Tuesday 21 November 2017 – Professor Roberta Gilchrist (University of Reading), ‘The archaeology of monastic healing: spirit, mind and body’

All seminars will take place in the Wellcome Library, 183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE. Doors at 6pm prompt, seminars will start at 6.15pm.

The programme for January–March 2018 will follow in the new year.

Organising Committee: Elma Brenner (Wellcome Collection), Michael Brown (Roehampton), Elena Carrera (QMUL), Sandra Cavallo (RHUL), John Henderson (Birkbeck, London), William MacLehose (UCL), Anna Maerker (KCL), Patrick Wallis (LSE), Ronit Yoeli-Tlalim (Goldsmiths).

Enquiries to Ross MacFarlane (R.MacFarlane@wellcome.ac.uk).