Books And Manuscripts Of The Bakken

The Bakken collection records the historical role of electricity and magnetism in the life sciences and medicine. ...impressive. --MEDICAL HISTORY

In the 25 years since the last edition of Thornton and Tully’s Scientific Books, Libraries and Collectors was published, scientific publishing has mushroomed, developed new forms, and the academic discipline and popular appreciation of the history of science have grown apace. This fourth edition discusses these changes and ponders the implications of developments in publishing at the end of the twentieth century, while concentrating its gaze upon the dissemination of scientific ideas and knowledge from Antiquity to the industrial age. In this shift of focus it departs from previous editions, and for the first time a chapter on Islamic science is included. Recurrent themes in several of the ten essays in the present volume are the definition of ’science’ itself, and its transmutation by publishing media and the social context. Two essays on the collecting of scientific books provide a counterpoint, and the book is grounded on a rigorous chapter on bibliographies. The timely publication of Scientific Books, Libraries and Collectors comes at the coincidence of the advent of electronic publishing and the millennium, a dramatic moment at which to take stock.

First multi-year cumulation covers six years: 1965-70.

The volume provides an archive of some of the most beautiful illustrations ever made of the gravid uterus with fetus and placenta, which will serve future generations of investigators, educators, and students of reproduction. The approximately two hundred figures from over one hundred volumes included are from the late fifteenth through the nineteenth century. For each author whose work is depicted in this volume, we have used the first edition or first illustrated edition. In the commentary, each volume and illustration is placed in its historical perspective, noting both the significance of that image, but also some background on the life and work of the author. For most of the works cited, there are additional references for the reader who may wish to explore these in greater depth. This volume is a unique collection not only of these historical images, but also their place in the development of scientific study.

This book examines various contributions of Benjamin Franklin to health care and medicine. Over two centuries ago, he used the scientific method to evaluate health care processes and outcomes. For example, in 1784 the King of France, Louis XVI, commissioned Benjamin Franklin and several other prominent scientists to evaluate the therapeutic techniques of Franz Anton Mesmer. Their conclusions, the complete Report of the Royal Commission on Animal Magnetism and Mesmerism, is reproduced here, along with several other views of the proceedings. Another analysis of health care that Benjamin Franklin undertook was related to smallpox. He studied the outcomes of smallpox inoculation, and compared them to not being inoculated, and even examined outcomes based on race. This may be the first study of racial disparity in health care in the USA. This book provides a unique blend of medical history and scientific methods to evaluate processes in health care. Health care quality improvement requires analysis and refinement of processes, in order to increase quality or improve patient safety. The methods are as valid and reliable today, as they were in the 1700's.

In Wonder Shows, Fred Nadis offers a colorful history of these traveling magicians, inventors, popular science lecturers, and other presenters of “miracle science” who revealed science and technology to the public in awe-inspiring fashion. The book provides an innovative synthesis of the history of performance with a wider study of culture, science, and religion from the antebellum period to the present.