-
Health and well-being: Early Medicine’s new theme
The preservation of health and prevention of illness were major preoccupations in the ancient, medieval and early modern worlds. Since medical intervention to combat sickness could be both expensive and dangerous, it was preferable to take steps to avoid becoming… Continue reading
-
London Health Histories – a workshop
On the 17 June we will be hosting a workshop, ‘London Health Histories’, organised in association with the Centre for History in Public Health, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Bringing together academics, librarians and archivists, the workshop will consider the health… Continue reading
-
Diabetes and public health
The theme for World Health Day 2016 is “Beat diabetes”. How did diabetes become a public health issue? Maybe public health officers from the past can shed some light. Diabetes is a complex condition. We’ve known of its existence for… Continue reading
-
Libraries can be good for your health
On National Libraries Day (February 6), Andy Wright, the Wellcome/Public Libraries Project Lead tells us about the role of public libraries in supporting health and well-being. I’m currently on the most amazing adventure of a secondment based at the Wellcome… Continue reading
-
A history of health? Integrating food and drink into the history of medieval medicine
The first seminar in the 2015–16 History of Pre-Modern Medicine seminar series takes place on Tuesday 13th October. Speaker: Dr Iona McCleery (University of Leeds) A history of health? Integrating food and drink into the history of medieval medicine Abstract: The… Continue reading
-
The Pioneer Health Centre and positive health
A perennial favourite of researchers in the archival collections of the Wellcome Library is the archive of the Pioneer Health Centre, Peckham, including the papers of its founders, George Scott Williamson and Innes Hope Pearse. Now thanks to a couple of recently… Continue reading
-
You are what you eat: food safety
In 2015 the focus of World Health Day – 7 April – is food safety. The Wellcome Library has a wealth of material on food (some of which is available digitally); here are some examples on food safety, from disease… Continue reading
-
Happy to be healthy
Lots of people are talking about happiness, and not just because 20 March is International Day of Happiness. Links between health and happiness have been around for a long time, as this 18th century cartoon shows. In the drawing, a… Continue reading
-
Ashes to Ashes: doctors debate smoking
To mark national No Smoking Day, historian Professor Tilli Tansey draws on first hand accounts of how the British medical community responded to emerging evidence of the connection between smoking and health in the 1950s. The link between good health… Continue reading
-
A Cancer Landscape: a powerful new exhibition in Brighton
Margaret Felton from Sussex Community NHS Trust reflects on the emotional impact of an upcoming exhibition at the Brighton Science Festival. It was not until I heard artist and cancer patient Michele Angelo Petrone (1963-2007) talk about and show the… Continue reading