Spring 2006

LC395 Science, Technology, and Society in the Renaissance

Paper 4: Renaissance Medicine

Background:

Both Vesalius and Paré were fathers of modern medicine, but in different fields and for different reasons. The university training of Vesalius, his careful dissections, his willingness to confront age-old authorities, the exceptional precision of the illustrations by Titian's pupil, and not least, the ability of mass mechanical reproduction to disseminate his ideas are all responsible for his success.

Bu the scope of his work was limited, and it is not without the contributions of a very different sort of medical practioner. Although, or perhaps because Ambroise Paré was not a university-trained physician, he, too, greatly advanced the art of medicine in the 16th century. At a time when class and status divisions separated the roles of physicians and surgeons, Paré gained his knowledge through his experience as a military surgeon.

Unlike those of Vesalius, Paré's contributions to medical science cannot be separated from the technologies of war developed in the Renaissance and their tremendous cultural impact. Gunpowder weapons led to larger armies and longer sieges; gunshot wounds, cannon fire, and disease caused a huge rise in the casualties of war.

Paré, through his long career, observed these changes and left accounts of his experiences on campaign during the Habsburg-Valois conflicts and the French wars of religion. These narratives reveal aspects of war not recorded in other accounts. He describes in clinical detail wounds from the still developing small firearms. While certain military aspects of the wars are recorded, his perspective on battles and sieges is largely medical, giving us insights into the view of the role of human beings in the pursuit of war aims.

Assignment:

Begin with the notes you took while reading Paré, and the paper you wrote on the 28th. Using examples from the writings of Paré, analyze that medical perspective on the wars. Some questions you might consider are: What was the real impact on soldiers, physical and psychological? How were they viewed and what was their role? What does he reveal about the true costs of the Military Revolution? Why does he look for new solutions to curing wounds? Why does it seem to be that in all ages, advances in science, technology, and medicine are inseparable from the waging of war? Finally, in what ways does the work of Vesalius seem so distantly removed from that of Paré?

Specifications:

  1. The paper should be 2 pages doublespaced, plus a separate cover sheet
  2. Type your paper
  3. Give your paper a title
  4. Staple your pages together if you want me to grade your paper
  5. Use specific examples from the texts we have read
  6. If you use illustrations, put them at the end of your paper and label them, such as: fig. 1, fig. 2, etc. These will be extra pages, not the 2 required.
  7. I will not accept late papers
  8. Since this is a formal essay, your writing must follow the rules of spelling, capitalization, punctuation, and grammar. The first three are mechanical and can be checked easily with your word-processor or by careful editing. Do your best to have your essay be grammatically correct; if you have problems or questions, see me, or take your paper to the writing center. If I made a comment about this on your last paper, you must do one or the other.
  9. Avoid plagiarism by acknowledging sources of ideas that do not originate with you, including the ideas of another student.
  10. Upload your paper to turnitin.com before class.

    I will not read or grade any papers that have not been uploaded to turnitin.com before class on Tuesday, 4 April 2006

Instructions for turnitin:

If you have any questions or problems, e-mail me soon.