Article Summary by Clare Hickman This article uses a sensory approach to trace the attachment of concepts of health in relation to the scent of pine trees, and how that has been perceived as signaling particular health properties in different spaces—namely the forest, the tuberculosis sanatoria and the home—over the last two centuries. By tracing […]
Latest articles
From Blocked Flows to Suppressed Emotions: The Life of a Trope
Article Summary by Stewart Justman This article looks into the traditional notion that disease results from excesses pent up in the body and that treatment consists of getting rid of them. Interested readers will discover variants of this topos in surprising places—for example, in the 18th-century belief that smallpox resident in the body could be […]
LivingBodiesObjects with Stuart Murray
Podcast with Brandy Schillace and Stuart Murray LivingBodiesObjects is a 3-year project funded by the Wellcome Trust designed to test and extend the boundaries of Medical Humanities research. Wellcome’s three-year development grant will be used to further understand the relationship between the human body and technologies associated with health and disability. At the same time, the […]
Ethnographic Fieldwork Among Pigs and People: What Can We Learn from Previous Xenotransplantations?
Blog by Susanne Lundin In the late 1990s, I visited a farm at a secret location in the UK where I met the offspring of the world-famous Astrid. Astrid herself was staying in another place, hidden from the public eye (as is customary for celebrities). Astrid was not just any mother of several children, but […]
Food hygiene, Public Health Education and Citizenship in Britain, 1948–1967
Article Summary by Alex Mold Anyone who has ever suffered from a bout of food poisoning can attest to the importance of good food hygiene. Encouraging people to follow simple rules, such as washing hands before preparing or eating food, has long been a task for public health educators. In this article I examine public […]
Opening Celebration of the Institute for Medical & Health Humanities and Artistic Research
Announcement from The Institute for Medical & Health Humanities and Artistic Research 25 March 2022 3:15–4:45 pm (CEST) online OPENING CELEBRATION https://www.eventbrite.de/e/eroffnungsfeieropening-celebration-tickets-273777274197 The Institute for Medical & Health Humanities and Artistic Research combines approaches of artistic research with those of Medical and Health Humanities. It aims to develop and advance innovative perspectives on ways of […]
Compassion, Willpower and Social Stigma: A Journey Through the Deadly Second Wave of the Covid-19 Pandemic in India
Blog by Kunchok Dorjee Covid patients are subject to stigma, isolation, and low morale. Elderly citizens, individuals without family support, health disparity populations, and those with coexisting conditions–such as HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, mental health conditions, refugees, etc.–may be particularly vulnerable. Mitigation measures such as harsh lockdowns and forced isolation have exacerbated the stigma. Inclusion and humanity […]
Unwell Women: A Journey Through Medicine and Myth in a Man-Made World
Book Review by Laura Grace Simpkins Elinor Cleghorn. Weidenfeld and Nicolson. 2021. ISBN 9781474616850 Anne Green joined a grand house in an Oxfordshire village as a scullery maid during the 1640s. She was raped by the owner’s nephew in 1650 and became pregnant. Four months later, Anne went into labour. Her son was stillborn and […]
The Mediated Discourse and Voice of Euthanasia: the Israeli Media as a Case Study
Article Summary by Baruch Shomron Euthanasia refers to the intentional ending of a person’s life with the intent of alleviating great pain or suffering. As such, euthanasia is an important social and quality of life issue. However, it is highly controversial and is continuously debated around the world. Indeed, as a value-laden issue, its legitimacy […]
Podcast with Riva Lehrer, Author of Golem Girl: A Memoir
Podcast with Riva Lehrer Riva Lehrer is an artist, writer, and curator who focuses on the socially challenged body. Best known for representations of people whose physical embodiment, sexuality, or gender identity have long been stigmatized. Lehrer’s memoir, Golem Girl (One World/ Penguin Random House), won the 2020 Barbellion Prize for Literature and was a […]