Barnard Medieval & Renaissance Conference to Explore Pre-Modern Medical Theory and Practice across Cultures
New York, NY --Barnard College will host the nineteenth annual Medieval and Renaissance Conference on "Medicine Across Cultures: 600-1600" in Barnard Hall (117 th Street and Broadway) on December 4, starting at 10 a.m. The conference will examine the wealth of cross-cultural sharing and exchange that characterized the medical practice of the Medieval and Renaissance periods, as well as the complexity and sophistication of pre-modern medical tradition.
The conference will include discussions of topics such as the female body, medicine's presence in literature, pharmacology, and contagions, among others. The discussion will encompass medieval cultures from France to China, from the medieval Islamic world to Shakespeare, from Judaism to Christianity.
Speakers include Michael McVaugh of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, Jersey Choo of Princeton University, Noga Arikha of Bard College, Leah DeVun of Texas A&M University, and other experts.
The first session, "Medical Theorists and Practitioners," will examine medical philosophies and the individuals who conceived them. Maternity, childbirth, and the female body in Chinese medicine are subjects featured in the second session, "The Female Body." The third session, "Medicine and Literature," will investigate the role of medicine in prominent works of literature from Shakespeare to the Hebrew Urjuza . The fourth session, "Medicine and the Mind," will include topics of mental illness, 'humor' theory, and sexual initiation rites.
"Pharmacology in Translation" will examine the pharmacological practice and its writing across cultures. "The Theory and Practice of Healing" will focus on wounds, diagnosis and military medicine. Alchemy and the unknown in medicine will be at the center of the seventh session, "Representation and Transformation." The final session, "Understanding Contagion," will explore the Plague, methods of dealing with contagion, and theories regarding contagion.
Enrollment for the conference is limited and will be conducted on a first-come, first-served basis. Registration forms should be mailed or faxed by November 29, 2004. Pre-registration: $40; Walk in Registration: $50. The basic registration includes refreshments. Cancellations are accepted until November 29, 2004.
For further information about tickets and registration, please contact: Laurie Postlewate, French Department, 212-854-2053. Contact: Petra Tuomi, Office of Public Affairs, 212-854-7907
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