Cause of death as a historical problem

Journal/Book: Continuity Change. 1997; 12: 40 West 20TH Street, New York, NY 10011-4211. Cambridge Univ Press. 175.

Abstract: This article is primarily intended to summarize, from the point of view of medical historians, the multiple problems surrounding interpretations of historical demographic and epidemiological data and to point out the contextual nature of such information. Given the interest in the charting of long-term trends in causes of death taken from historical frameworks of disease interpretation and causality, there is an urgent need to contextualize carefully the available records and place them within religious, cultural, political, economic, and medical schemes. Stripped of such contexts, the understanding of causes of death becomes almost meaningless, and statistical analyses distorted. This article therefore identifies issues which historical demographers need to consider when studying causes of death.

Note: Article Risse GB, Univ Calif San Francisco, Dept Hist Hlth Sci, San Francisco,CA 94143 USA

Zurück | Weiter