Description
HS136 Germs and Genes: Western Medicine and Society, 1850-1920 3 credits
Studies the ways in which medical theories interacted with social and cultural values in the
U.S. and western Europe from 1850-1920. Focuses on the development of germ theory,
eugenics, and public health initiatives. Topics for discussion will include state enforcement
of quarantines for infectious diseases, popular protest against mandatory vaccination laws,
and proposals for state and individual control of reproduction based on eugenic theories.