A New Historical Geography of England

Abstract

The association between geography and the history of medicine may not be immediately obvious, but the late Sir Dudley Stamp in his Heath Clark Lectures of 1962, amongst others, has given ample evidence for their connexions.This excellent treatise is therefore of relevance to all medical historians.It consists of twelve substantial essays by ten eminent geographers, which are arranged chrono- logically and deal with the changing face of England from the Anglo-Saxon invasions to the early nineteenth century; each is amply supplied with documentation and they are illustrated with 156 specially prepared maps and diagrams.It is against this changing picture that English medicine evolved, and the data provided here to show how this scene was produced are as extensive as they are diffuse: agriculture and market gardening, towns and cities, industry and mining, population, transport and communications, water supply, steam engines, immigration, countryside, climate, etc.The medical implications of these are readily conceivable and so are the medicohistorical.What is now needed is for historians of medicine to correlate the medical with the geographical, where this has not already been done.There must be a multi- tude of engaging problems awaiting solution.Professor Darby and his collaborators must be congratulated on producing such a remarkably valuable and fascinating work, and the publishers likewise for an elegant and serviceable volume.It is to be hoped that it will stimulate others to add further to our knowledge in this vitally important field of historical geography.

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