Medical History of British India

L0011942 Portrait of Sir Ronald Ross at his desk

If you are interested in medical pictures from the past then why not try this Open University quiz?

http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/a218/killcure.shtml

Test your assumptions and preconceptions about some practices and attitudes relating to medicine in the past by examining four pictures.

The quiz forms part of a taster website for the Open University’s Medicine and Society in Europe 1500-1930 (A218) 60 credit course.

I finished the course in October and I really enjoyed it. It gave me a good overview of the history of medicine and how political, economic, social and religious factors influenced and shaped medical provision and the patients’ experience.

As well as academic texts and primary source readings the OU provided an excellent interactive CD-Rom, audio episodes, and a series of programmes to watch on DVD.
The course also made use of Andrew Cunningham’s engaging audio series The Making of Modern Medicine (BBC CD) and Roy Porter’s fascinating book The Greatest Benefit to Mankind.

While researching lunatic asylums I came across the Science Museum’s ‘Brought to Life’ web feature on mental health:

http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/themes/menalhealthandillness.aspx

This is one of 16 sections covering different aspects of the history of medicine. Others which are relevant to the Medical History of British India are Public Health, Hospitals and Diseases and Epidemics.

The website is a Science Museum and Wellcome Trust collaboration and features photographs from the Museum’s collection. It is well worth a look.