Specialization and Its Opponents in London

Abstract

Abstract London was the largest city in Europe. It possessed medical resources that were certainly as extensive as those of Paris. Among the many practitioners in the city, specialists were clearly visible. And yet, specialization as a compelling social category did not first emerge in London; and once it did appear on the scene, it faced a unique degree of hostility. In fact, almost none of the conditions that pertained in Paris applied in the British metropolis. London provides an almost exact negative image of the situation that allowed specialization to flourish in the French capital.