Table of Contents

Preface vi

Introduction: Where Medical History Came From 1

The First Drama: The Healer 10

The Second Drama: The Sick Person 32

The Third Drama: Diseases 55

The Fourth Drama: Discovering and Communicating Knowledge 80

The Fifth Drama: Medicine and Health Interacting with Society 108

Conclusion: Where Medical History is Going 135

Suggestions for Further Reading 143

Notes 149

Index 154

About the Author

John Burnham is Research Professor of History and Scholar in Residence in the Medical Heritage Center, The Ohio State University

Reviews

'With examples drawn from a wide time frame, this book shows why successive generations have found the subject of medical history so fascinating. Organized into themes, and written in a lively, accessible style, it gives a balanced account of even the most controversial areas.'
Mark Harrison, Wellcome Unit for the History of Medicine, University of Oxford