Renaissance Surgeons: Learning and Expertise in the Age of Print

This book explores the lives, careers, and publications of a group of Spanish Renaissance surgeons who were influential in universities, battlefields, courts, and private practice. It argues that their collective identity as part of the broader intellectual shift to empiricism and innovation of the Renaissance is their larger significance.

Format: Hardback
Length: 158 pages
Publication date: 09 November 2022
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This captivating book delves into the lives, careers, and remarkable contributions of a group of Spanish Renaissance surgeons, serving as shining examples of both the surgical renaissance sweeping across Europe and the unique context of Spain. During the sixteenth century, European surgeons underwent a transformative journey, emerging as learned experts who seamlessly merged university medical degrees with manual skills and practical experience. Gone were the days when they were mere apprentice-trained craftsmen solely focused on healing the external wounds and rashes of the body. These enlightened surgeons actively embraced the epistemic shifts of the sixteenth century, including the emergence of new forms of knowledge construction rooted in empiricism and the proliferation of knowledge circulation facilitated by printing. While their contributions may have been overshadowed by the innovative work of anatomists and botanists, it is important to recognize that they were integral participants in the same intellectual currents that reshaped numerous aspects of knowledge.

Spanning communities across both Castile and Aragon, these learned surgeons formed an intellectual community of practitioners and scholars, playing a pivotal role in reshaping surgical knowledge and practice. Their collective identity as part of the broader intellectual shift towards empiricism and innovation of the Renaissance is what truly sets them apart. Renaissance Surgeons: Learning and Expertise in the Age of Print offers a comprehensive overview of these Spanish learned surgeons, commonly referred to as "médicos y cirujanos." It explores their influential roles in universities, on battlefields, at court, and in private practice, highlighting their profound impact on the medical world of their time.

This book is a valuable resource for upper-level students and scholars of the history of medicine and early modern Spain, providing a deep understanding of the complex interplay between medical knowledge, technological advancements, and societal changes during the Renaissance period. By examining the lives and careers of these surgeons, readers gain a glimpse into the rich tapestry of medical practices and the intellectual ferment that characterized this transformative era.

Weight: 470g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032270401