Abstract
This study examined the disease label 'epilepsy' and the social processes that have shaped and legitimated the concept. Using the methodology of content analysis, medical student textbooks listed in Calendars and Handbooks at an Australian univer sity were sampled at ten year intervals over the period 1894-1994. The findings of this research show medical knowledge concerning 'epilepsy' has not been a linear progression of medical enlightenment and humanitarian spirit. To the contrary, the journey was fraught with dissimulation and despair. A hidden curriculum of eugenics permeates medical texts. Clinical definitions of 'epilepsy' remain problematic as physicians grapple with a widely held but false notion that their predecessors helped to generate.
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.