Unit 9 – History of Medicine 1600 - 1900
University of Bristol (UK)
1.2 Learning Objectives
The main learning objectives of the unit are to:
- Introduce students to the history of medicine in the west in the period, 1600–1900 and some related ethical issues
- Introduce students to major changes in medical theory and practice in the period
- Introduce students to the historically contingent nature of the doctor-patient relationship, and its potential negatives
- Introduce students to the history of professionalisation and specialisation in medicine, especially emphasising the importance of women forcing their way into the profession
- Introduce students to major developments in public health in the nineteenth century, and resistance to them by the public, as well as historical debates about the causes of the decline in infectious diseases