Hypochondria and the Refashioning of Medical Uncertainty Workshop

Fashionable Diseases: Medicine, Literature and Culture, ca. 1660-1832, a new Leverhulme-funded project at Northumbria and Newcastle Universities, is pleased to announce the first of a series of workshops.

On 12th October, Dr Catherine Belling will be speaking on ‘Hypochondria and the Refashioning of Medical Uncertainty.’  Belling is Assistant Professor of Medical Humanities and Bioethics at Northwestern University‘s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago and the author of A Condition of Doubt: On the Meanings of Hypochondria (Oxford University Press, 2012).  With particular reference to the 18th century rise of pathological anatomy and the late 20th century rise of clinical ethics and patient autonomy, Belling will consider how the meaning of the term “hypochondria” has shifted in relation to what medicine has considered certain.  The paper will be followed by an open discussion on the changing shape of hypochondria through history.

The event will take place on 12 October in 121 Lipman at Northumbria University, Newcastle, from 3-5pm.  All are warmly invited to attend.  Download the Hypochondria workshop poster for more info.