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Book Reviews
This book, part of the Cambridge series of New Approaches to European History, is an admirable introduction to the history of medicine in the early modern period. Mary Lindemann has succeeded in her aim of writing a book accessible to undergraduate students of medical history. She states that her primary goal in writing the book is to “mainstream” the history of medicine, that is, to place it in its broader context of time and place. This approach is not new, but Lindemann manages the balance between the medicine and the society of her title well.
The book is arranged topically, under subjects familiar to any historian of medicine in the early modern period. The arrangement of topics is logical, with a historiographical review of medical history contained in the introduction. The first two chapters explore various aspects of disease. The next two examine medicine, particularly medical education. Chapter Five looks at hospitals and asylums, or “institutions with walls”, while Chapter 6, “Health and society”, explores the effect of “institutions without walls”, such as the state and private corporations, on medicine. The final chapter is on the practice of medicine. While the earlier chapters perhaps do not contain as much discussion of social and political trends, and their relation to medicine, as is promised in the introduction, this is compensated for in the final two chapters, which integrate a social perspective into the discussion of medical history. In the succinct conclusion, the author reiterates her views of historiographical interpretation, which are relevant to history itself as a discipline, and not just medical history.
The book is designed for undergraduates, and this can be seen in the introductory overview of various schools of historiographical interpretation. It can also be seen in the style of the book, which is clear while never patronising. Lindemann’s sources have been well utilised, although they are not comprehensive. There is perhaps an emphasis on English and German sources (her research area), and thus on English and German medicine, but this is a minor criticism. The use of subheadings makes the book easy to read, and the decision to use footnotes rather than endnotes is appreciated. Lindemann’s history of medicine and society in the early modern period does not break any new ground, but it should help dispel some persistent stereotypes about medicine in the early modern period for undergraduates. One of the most important arguments is the author’s rejection of the importance of professionalisation in transforming the practice of medicine, in favour of an emphasis on growing consumerism in society as a factor in the changes in medicine in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Although the subject of the book is medicine, it has been written to appeal also to those with a more general interest in early modern history. Thus, it serves as a good introduction to more general histories as well as histories of medicine. It is highly recommended for all interested in the history of medicine.
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