The Making of Modern Medicine, Parts 1-5 of 30 [audio 5x15min]

Andrew Cunninham, senior research fellow in the history of medicine, writes and narrates a major new 30-part narrative history series charting the development of western medicine and healing from the Ancient Greeks to the pioneering organ transplant operations of the 20th century and beyond. Episode 1: Cunningham begins his story with some pithy pieces of advice for the aspiring physician in Ancient Greece. Episode 2: Aside from the medical profession and the universities to educate physicians, the hospital is one of the main innovations made in Christian Medieval times that persist into modern medicine. Episode 3: A mysterious new disease broke out in 1492 terrifying everyone and sparing no one -- It was the pox. Episode 4: The 16th century witnessed the birth of a new kind of natural philosophy and medicine, and its chief advocate was the Swiss medical reformer Paracelsus. Episode 5: From the rediscovery of Galen's ancient teaching to the new ideas of the young physician Andreas Vesalius, the approach to human anatomy was changed forever in the Renaissance. A wide variety of highly illustrative extracts are read by acclaimed actors including Tamsin Greig, Annette Badland, David Rintoul and Peter Capaldi. Each programme may be played on demand for 7 days after broadcast.