Against the backdrop of unprecedented concern for the future of health
care, this Very Short Introduction surveys the history of medicine from
classical times, through the scholastic medieval tradition and the
Enlightenment to the present day. Taking a thematic rather than strictly
chronological approach, W.F. Bynum, explores the key turning points in
the history of Western medicine-such as the first surgical procedures,
the advent of hospitals, the introduction of anesthesia, X-Rays,
vaccinations, and many other innovations, as well as the rise of
experimental medicine. The book also explores Western medicine's
encounters with Chinese and Indian medicine, as well as nontraditional
treatments such as homeopathy, chiropractic, and other alternative
medicines. Covering a vast amount of information, this Very Short
Introduction sheds new light on medicine's past, while at the same time
engaging with contemporary issues, discoveries, and controversies, such
as the spiraling costs of
health care, lack of health insurance for millions, breakthrough
treatments, and much more. For readers who wish to understand the how we
have arrived at our current state of medical practice and knowledge,
this book is essential reading.
About the Series: Combining authority with wit, accessibility, and
style, Very Short Introductions offer an introduction to some of
life's most interesting topics. Written by experts for the newcomer,
they demonstrate the finest contemporary thinking about the central
problems and issues in hundreds of key topics, from philosophy to Freud,
quantum theory to Islam.
