List of Papers for History of Medicine

Short (2-3 page) papers

1. Narrative essay Biography
https://blog.udemy.com/types-of-essays/ and http://www.gallaudet.edu/tip/englishcenter/writing/essays/different-kinds-of-essays.html#Narrative [Due Aug. 3]
2. Expository or Persuasive Essay on a topic, based on a published article (from a provided list)
http://access-socialstudies.cappelendamm.no/c319365/artikkel/vis.html?tid=382115 and
http://www.time4writing.com/writing-resources/types-of-essays/ [Due Aug. 24]
3. Narrative essay An historic medical institution (from a Class-prepared list)
https://blog.udemy.com/types-of-essays/ and http://www.gallaudet.edu/tip/englishcenter/writing/essays/different-kinds-of-essays.html#Narrative
4. To be announced. [Due in Late-Sept.]
Longer (6-8 page) papers must include at least 2 primary sources (not counting photos / diagrams)
1. Argumentative (a type of Persuasive) essay based on either Option A or Option B below.
http://access-socialstudies.cappelendamm.no/c319365/artikkel/vis.html?tid=382115 * and
http://www.buowl.boun.edu.tr/students/types%20of%20essays/ARGUMENTATIVE%20ESSAY.htm and
https://www.roanestate.edu/owl/argument.html and http://www.gallaudet.edu/tip/englishcenter/writing/essays/different-kinds-of-essays.html#Argumentative ALSO (for this one, you
must create an account) http://study.com/academy/lesson/argumentative-essay-definitionformat-examples.html If you have the time, there is an excellent 5 video course * at:
(1) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAUKxr946SI *
(2) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h2I6N5tsKhc *
(3) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_WknKWFdUs0 *
(4) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7bo4YtKv68Y * and
(5) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3GEWmf77E-8 *
Also a 12 video course starting at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PuQ9EWpw7xM&list=PLDF3C877967DFDEC6 [Due Sept. 7]
I request that you do your research independently! Citations that are used in multiple papers
will have less value than well-regarded and effective citations that are not used in other papers.
Option A: Life Expectancy during the 20th Century increased tremendously. Two thousand years
ago, life expectancy peaked at 20-25 years; by 1900 CE life expectancy reached a world-wide
average of about 30 years, with the developed countries maintaining an average under 50 years.
However, by 1985 CE the worldwide life expectancy was about 66, with an average of over 80
years in the developed countries! It is well accepted that the four primary reasons for such
increase, both in developed countries and throughout the world, has been a combination of
substantial advances in: Medicine generally (including vaccines, antibiotics and other pharmacological advances, enhanced antiseptics and sterile medical protocols, advanced surgical
treatments, technology for diagnosing and treating diseases, etc.), Obstetrics specifically (pre-

natal testing & care, delivery success for mom & baby, immediate-post-delivery testing &
treatment, etc.), Engineering / Public Health (sewage disposal / treatment, food controls e.g.
FDA regulations, provision of water / air purification, refrigeration, workplace and housing
safety codes, reduced tobacco smoking, pest control, etc.), and better Nutrition (food supply
providing greater variety through-out most of a year, education regarding proper diet, vitamin
and mineral fortified foods, etc.). You should select one of these four reasons (improved:
medicine, obstetrics, public health & engineering, or nutrition do not focus on merely one or a
few aspect(s) of one of the four) and compellingly argue that your chosen ONE reason is the
predominant vehicle for the massive increase in 20th Century life expectancy. You may wish to
consider the statistical effects of:
a. Regional differences
b. Gender differences;
c. As one gets older, their individual life expectancy increases;
d. Increased birth survival (mother and child);
e. Declining fertility rate in developed countries;
f. Reduction of communicable diseases;
g. Poorer people die younger; and
h. Poorer people in developed countries often have life expectancies resembling undeveloped countries rates (see:
http://static1.squarespace.com/static/551caca4e4b0a26ceeee87c5/t/57948489d1758e
c97e7f783b/1469351050367/Shaefer-international-comparisons.pdf )
Your arguments and facts should be principally statistical, and only for or within the 1901-2000
historical period. (see: file:///C:/Users/USER/Desktop/global_health_and_aging.pdf ;
http://www.rgs.org/OurWork/Schools/Teaching+resources/Key+Stage+3+resources/Who+wants+to+liv
e+forever/Why+are+people+living+longer.htm ; https://ourworldindata.org/life-expectancy/ ;
http://classroom.synonym.com/causes-extended-life-expectancy-20th-century-22736.html ;
http://visual.ons.gov.uk/how-has-life-expectancy-changed-over-time/ )

Option B: Should modern medical practitioners use materials developed from unethical
treatment of humans (for example: USA government run Tuskegee and Guatemala syphilis experiments
intentionally infecting and then not treating patients to study the diseases natural progression, etc.)?
What if the unethical treatment was considered ethical at the time and place where the materials were
developed (for example: Edward Jenners smallpox vaccine based on intentionally infecting humans with
cowpox)? Consider differing current views about materials developed from unethical treatment of
humans, for example Eduard Pernkopf's "Topographische Anatomie des Menschen" (based upon human
vivisections of Jews in Nazi death camps) as compared to Herophilos and Erasistratus lost, but quoted
works (based upon human vivisections), and Andreas Vesalius Tabulae Sex, and others, produced by
human corpse dissection without informed consent. Consider historical and geographical variations of
ethical acceptability for human experimentation in advancing medical knowledge. Your arguments and
facts should be principally ethical in historical perspective, but your topic should be from a modern
medical practitioners perspective.

(see: file:///C:/Users/USER/Desktop/Chapter03.pdf ; http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1860367/ ;

http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2213879X14000224 (see embedded links to treaties!);
http://www.qcc.cuny.edu/socialsciences/ppecorino/MEDICAL_ETHICS_TEXT/Chapter_7_Human_Experi
mentation/Reading-Nazi-experimentation.htm ; and some history at:
http://www.naturalnews.com/019189_human_medical_experimentation_ethics.html# )
2. To be announced. [Due in Early-mid Oct.]

Your papers do not have to follow a MELEC / MELELEC paragraph format, although it is highly suggested.