A Tour of and introduction to the John Martin Rare Book Room is once again part of the “Gem Series” offered by UI Human Resources Learning & Development unit. The tour is free and open to any UI faculty or staff member and will feature a “hands-on” introduction to some of the more fascinating booksContinue reading “Tour John Martin Rare Book Room, Wednesday, April 8 at noon”
Author Archives: Donna Hirst
UI Student to present history of eugenics in the Midwest
One of the most controversial episodes in the history of public health was the late 19th and early 20th century eugenics movement. Relying on faulty science and nationalist bigotry, eugenicists sought to identify and retain “superior” human genetic stocks while restraining the spread of “inferiors.” Midwestern states, including Iowa, acted to limit reproduction of theirContinue reading “UI Student to present history of eugenics in the Midwest”
News from the John Martin Rare Book Room – Activities of Daily Living
Activities of Daily Living– While fads and fancies in health and medicine come and go, the underlying essentials of wellbeing, including, rest, nutrition, exercise, and moderation have gone unchallenged for millennia. One of the more popular works outlining keys to basic fitness is the Tacuini sanitatis by the eleventh century Iraq physician, Ibn Butlān (d.Continue reading “News from the John Martin Rare Book Room – Activities of Daily Living”
Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room – Birthing in the 16th Century
Birthing in the 16th Century Jakob Rüff (1500-1558) was not the first physician to write a birthing manual for midwives but his book, De conceptu et generatione hominis, first published in 1554 in both Latin and German was certainly one of the most famous and widely used. Lithotomist, surgeon, obstetrician and playwright, was the townContinue reading “Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room – Birthing in the 16th Century”
Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room
L’orthopédie The simple image of a crooked tree splinted to a wooden pole is one of the most recognizable symbols in medicine. Its first appearance was as an engraving in Andry de Bois-Regard’s 1741publication, L’orthopédie; ou, “L’art de prévenir et de corriger dan les enfans, les difformités du corps* *Orthopaedia: or the Art of CorrectingContinue reading “Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room”
Notes from the Rare Book Room – Bleeding by the Numbers
Pierre Louis’ 1835, Recherches sur les effets de la saignée dans quelques maladies inflammatoires, et sur l’action de l’émétique et des vésicatoires dans la pneumonie is one of the less impressive looking books in the John Martin Rare Book Room, but it was instrumental in laying the foundation for what we now term, “evidence basedContinue reading “Notes from the Rare Book Room – Bleeding by the Numbers”
Classics Professor to Discuss Greek & Roman Impressions of Doctors
On Thuesday, November 18 (5:30 -6:30) The University of Iowa History of Medicine Society will hear a presentation by Craid Gibson, PhD, UI Associate Professor of Classics, speak on “Medical (Mal)practice in Greek and Roman Rhetoric.” Greek and Roman education made use of short essays and speeches to train students who needed credentials for theContinue reading “Classics Professor to Discuss Greek & Roman Impressions of Doctors”
UI Professor to discuss history of health reform in U.S.
Prepare to vote using insider knowledge! This is your chance to quickly review the history of Health Care Policy interactions with U. S. Elections and what the two current Presidential candidates’ proposals will potentially mean for health care in the U.S. in the next four to 8 years. Professor of History Colin Gordon’s second book,Continue reading “UI Professor to discuss history of health reform in U.S.”
Notes from the Rare Book Room — The Nuremberg Chronicle
While the production of the Guttenberg Bible in the mid 15th century constitutes the most important milestonetemp in the history of printing, the happy marriage of moveable type and mechanized illustration is best represented by the 1493 book, Liber Chronicarum, more popularly known as the Nuremberg Chronicle. The University Libraries is fortunate to have notContinue reading “Notes from the Rare Book Room — The Nuremberg Chronicle”
Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room — More Than Mickey Mouse
Visitors to the John Martin Rare Book Room are often bemused when they spot a View-Master resting on one of the bookcases. If you’re under the age of sixty-five you probably owned one of these devices along with several View-Master reels depicting far-off countries, cartoon characters or comic book heroes rendered in 3-D. But whyContinue reading “Notes from the John Martin Rare Book Room — More Than Mickey Mouse”