The story of early modern medicine, with its extremes of scientific
brilliance and barbaric practice, has long held a fascination for
scholars. The great discoveries of Harvey and Jenner sit
incongruously with the persistence of Galenic theory, superstition
and blood-letting. Yet despite continued research into the period
as a whole, most work has focussed on the metropolitan centres of
England, Scotland and France, ignoring the huge range of national
and regional practice. This collection aims to go some way to
rectifying this situation, providing an exploration of the changes
and developments in medicine as practised in Ireland and by Irish
physicians studying and working abroad during the seventeenth and
eighteenth centuries. Bringing together research undertaken into
the neglected area of Irish medical and social history across a
variety of disciplines, including history of medicine, Colonial
Latin American history, Irish, and French history, it builds upon
ground-breaking work recently published by several of the
contributors, thereby augmenting our understanding of the role of
medicine within early modern Irish society and its broader
scientific and intellectual networks. By addressing fundamental
issues that reach beyond the medical institutions, the collection
expands our understanding of Irish medicine and throws new light on
medical practices and the broader cultural and social issues of
early modern Ireland, Europe, and Latin America. Taking a variety
of approaches and sources, ranging from the use of eplistolary
exchange to the study of medical receipt books, legislative
practice to belief in miracles, local professionalization to
international networks, each essay offers a fascinating insight
into a still largely neglected area. Furthermore, the collection
argues for the importance of widening current research to consider
the importance and impact of early Irish medical traditions,
networks, and practices, and their interaction with related issues,
such as politics, gender, economic demand, and religious belief.
General
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