The Novel Nineteenth Century: Trends, Treatments, and Technologies in Nineteenth Century American Medicine

This exhibit features selections from Becker's rare book collections that explore the emergence of new medical trends, which reflect how Americans engaged with technological hands holding devices with electrical currents running through to large discsinnovations, scientific developments, and the anxieties of a rapidly changing social-cultural landscape in the 19th century.

See how Americans tried herbal remedies and eschewed drugs, learn about the water cure system, marvel at how electricity transformed the medical field, and explore the early roots of American psychology and neuroscience.

The Novel Nineteenth Century: Trends, Treatments, and Technologies in Nineteenth Century American Medicine was curated by Angela He, Rare Books Librarian, with graphic and design work by Dana Lechtenberg. The digital exhibit was created by Angela He. This site is a digital companion to an in-person exhibit that appeared in the Glaser Gallery of Washington University's Bernard Becker Medical Library from March 25th through September 20th, 2024.