Disease and Medicine in World History

<P><EM>Disease and Medicine in World History </EM>is a concise introduction to diverse ideas about diseases and their treatment throughout the world. Drawing on case studies from ancient Egypt to present-day America, Asia and Europe, this survey discusses concepts of sickness and forms of treatment in many cultures.</P><P>Sheldon Watts shows that many medical practices in the past were shaped as much by philosophers and metaphysicians as by university-trained doctors and other practitioners.</P><P>Subjects covered include:</P><UL><LI>Pharaonic Egypt and the pre-conquest New World</LI><LI>the evolution of medical systems in the Middle East</LI><LI>health and healing on the Indian subcontinent</LI><LI>medicine and disease in China</LI><LI>the globalization of disease in the modern world</LI><LI>the birth and evolution of modern scientific medicine.</LI></UL><P>This volume is a landmark contribution to the field of world history. It covers the principal medical systems known in the world,