Wellcome Unit for the History of Medicine

One Day Symposium

Impact of Hygiene: yesterday, today and tomorrow

10 November 2004

Osler-McGovern Centre, Green College, University of Oxford

Hygiene was originally meant to study and create the conditions most conducive to normal functioning of the human body. These described the practical considerations of food, drink, sleep, exercise and everyday needs. As important as these requirements are to the present day, the advances of science have assumed the scope of depth and breadth to explore the scientific criteria of hygiene. These implicate the disciplines of immunology, microbiology, parasitology, entomology, pharmacology, toxicology and environmental health including geography, topography and engineering, all with a view to limit, inhibit or block sources and characteristics that deter from normal living. The aspirations of hygiene are intended to be proactive more than reactive with prevention as the key element, while the modern context as hygiene science has its common denominator in maintaining a healthy and safe life.

Hygiene, in its classical view, comes from common sense and flowered at the time of the Greco-Roman physician Galen. The modern day Galen should be well rounded yet ready to learn from others as did Galen in his time. Through the theme of environment and health the data of Hygiene Science, from basic and applied aspects, require a penetrating appraisal so that the essential common sense will prevail. Today, hygiene is expressed through the eyes of specialists but also makes use of broad analyses for visualising the countering of existing and foreseeable problems.

This symposium will aim to provide a forum on the historical, cultural and scientific values of this commendable endeavour.

Provisional list of speakers:

Dr Syed Sattar
University of Ottawa, Canada
Infectious agents; environmental control; microbicides

Dr John Ruby
University of Alabama, USA
Microbial ecology; dental caries; periodontitis

Dottore Emiliano Fruciano
University of Paris, France
D'Herelle; bacteriophage; prevention

Dr Serge Riffard
Universite de Saint-Etienne, France
Legionella; Public Health; Molecular methods

Prof Marilyn Lee
Ryerson University, Toronto, Canada
Food; pathogens; parasites

Dr Harvey Artsob
Health Canada, Winnipeg, Canada
West Nile virus; arboviruses; emerging disease

Dr Valerie Curtis
London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, University of London, UK
Behaviour change; disgust; culture

Dr Alain Dublanchet
Centre Hospitalier Intercommunal de Villeneuve-Saint-Georges, France
Medical history; phagotherapy; bacterial diseases

Programme
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