19th Cent Med & Disease

Catalog description

This course is intended to expose students to a variety of topics in the history of medicine and public health. Although most of the topics covered fall under the heading of "social history," students will examine how health and disease often impact political and economic history. The United States will be the focus of the course; however, events in Europe will also be discussed since many medical breakthroughs occurred outside of America. Topics to be discussed include epidemics, the development of anesthesia, mental health reform, the birth of urban sanitation, the impact of the Civil War on medicine, and the federal government's role in ensuring the safety of food and medicines.