Course Description
An exploration of the juncture between disease and society. The course emphasizes major demographic events: the epidemiological shifts of the Neolithic and Industrial ages, the “Columbian Exchange” of diseases, and the Black Death. It also explores the history and impact of diseases such as smallpox, malaria, tuberculosis, and AIDS.
Athena Title
Disease and Human History
Equivalent Courses
Not open to students with credit in HIST 3740H, HIST 2710
Pre or Corequisite
Any course in HIST or ECOL or BIOL or CBIO or CHEM or BHSI or BCMB or EHSC or DMAN or GLOB or HONS or IDIS or PBHL
Grading System
A - F (Traditional)
Course Objectives
Learning objective: to understand how disease has shaped human history. Specific skills developed in this class: — read, understand, and critically evaluate a range of primary and secondary sources. — build rigorous arguments from primary evidence. — make valuable contributions to group discussions. — produce written work meeting a high standard for organization, rigor, coherence, clarity, and grammar.
Topical Outline
1. Paleolithic disease and mortality. Tuberculosis. 2. The Neolithic revolution. 3. Diseases of early historical societies: the first descriptions of infectious diseases. a. Rabies in Mesopotamia. b. Malaria in Greco-Roman history. c. Smallpox in China. d. Leprosy in Hebrew sources. 4. The Black Death. 5. The Columbian Exchange. a. The depopulation of the Americas. b. Syphilis. c. Yellow Fever. 6. The Current Epidemiological Shift in perspective. a. Germs: Urban life, sanitation, and mortality. b. Vaccines: smallpox and polio. c. Antibiotics: their history and future. d. King Cancer. 7. Emerging diseases: AIDS in our time.
Syllabus