History of science

Question

how does history help humans make modern medicine

Answer

Hello Nick, Thank you for submitting your question to AskNSDL. I can recommend some web sites that address your topic - how the "history of medicine" influences modern medicine. The National Library of Medicine's (NLM) History of Science Division produces "Exhibitions & Public Programs." This web site includes "Exhibitions, Lectures, Seminars, and Profiles in Science." The complete list is at: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/exhibit_pub.html When you browse through the list, I think you will find some titles that will be helpful to you. Here are a few that I would suggest: "Changing the Face of MedFacee" (2003): "Discover the many ways that women have influenced and enhanced the practice of medicine." http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/changingthefaceofmedicine/ "Smallpox: A Great and Terrible Scourge" (2002): http://www.nlm.nih.gov/exhibition/smallpox/index.html "Greek Medicine from Gods to Galen" (2002): "Many foundations of modern Western medicine lie in Classical Greece, from about 800 B.C.E. to about 200 C.E. During this period, Greek medicine departed from the divine and mystical and moved toward observation and logical reasoning." http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/greek/index.html "Project Bionics: A Guide to Collections Relating to the History of Artificial Organs (2002)": "This Guide is intended to serve many purposes. It marks an essential first step towards preserving the documentary history of artificial organ developments in the United States and abroad." http://www.nlm.nih.gov/hmd/manuscripts/asaio/index.html You might also consider reviewing some of the NLM's "Profiles in Science." Check them out at: http://profiles.nlm.nih.gov/ Another strong resource is Questia's "History of Medicine:" http://www.questia.com/Index.jsp?CRID=history_of_medicine&OFFID=se2 The introductory paragraph on Questia's Homepage gives a broad answer to your question: "The needs of medicine have inspired much of the progress in the biological sciences during the twentieth century. In turn, many advances in pure science have quickly been harnessed toward understanding, preventing and treating human disease. Molecular biology, the understanding of how life works at the most basic level, has enabled researchers to learn about how organisms function and malfunction. The recent sequencing of the human genome is providing an explosion of new information, the impact of which is just beginning to be felt, but which is expected to revolutionize both scientific research and clinical practice." I hope this information has been helpful to you. For more resources, check with your school or public library. The librarians there will probablThee able to guide you to books, magazines and other media on their shelves, as well as online subscription databases. Joyce Wheatley M.S., M.L.S. AskNSDL/ESTME Week 2004 Administrator/Librarian