Introduction to the History of Medicine

Covers the history of western medicine from Ancient Greece to the 21st century. Students will engage with primary and secondary sources that expose the varied understandings of health, disease causation, and treatment that have prevailed over time. As an introductory course with no prerequisites, this class welcomes all students with an interest in history, health, and disease, while assuming no prior medical or scientific knowledge. It illuminates the trajectory of western medicine from the humors of Hippocrates to the genetic medicine of today.