What was the English Medical Renaissance?

Medicine Through Time – The English Medical Renaissance, 1400-1800

In this course, Professor Harold Cook (Brown University) looks at the Medical Renaissance in England, spanning from 1400-1800. In the first module, we consider what the English Medical Renaissance was, looking at the changes that occurred in England from 1400-1800 and how these had an impact upon medicine. In the second module, we look at how ordinary people understood health and illness, before in the third module focusing more closely on the new ideas that emerged during this period, in particular the notion that the human body possessed tangible substances which were in motion. In the fourth module, we look at the relationship between medicine and the “New Philosophy” that developed during the 17th century, before in the fifth module focusing on Thomas Sydenham and his particular contribution to the understanding of disease. Finally, in the sixth module, we consider the growing focus on medical treatments in 17th century England, and how this reflects the broader changes that occurred during the English Medical Renaissance.

What was the English Medical Renaissance?

In this module, we consider what the English Medical Renaissance was, in terms of the large-scale changes that occurred in England from 1400-1800, focusing in particular on: (i) the establishment of a sustained movement of people, objects and ideas; (ii) population growth, especially in the urban centres of Europe; (iii) the rise in literacy, and the consequent increase in the number of educated people in England; (iv) the consumer revolution and increased dependency on market relations and specialised labour; and (v) pressure from the state to provide solutions to medical problems.