Dear colleagues,
The last seminar in the current History of Pre-Modern
Medicine Seminar series is on Tuesday 3rd March with Dr Mark Jenner (University
of York)
Details:
‘Polite and Polluted? Nightmen and the Selling of Sanitary Services in London
c.1600-c.1850’
The Italian physician, Bernardino Ramazzini, enjoined the readers of his book on the diseases of workers in 1700, it should not be ‘beneath the
dignity of the philosopher to descend now and then from his contemplation of
the sublime and survey grosser things’. Indeed, he explained, the inspiration
for his study had been a discussion with a man employed cleaning out privies.
It was time, Ramazzini argued, for doctors to leave the cinnamon-scented apothecary’s shop ‘and take a view of … Houses of Office’. This paper follows
his advice.
It examines the work and work practices of London’s nightmen – the workers who emptied its cesspits – and pays close attention to their
self-presentation, examining how the publicity for this most noxious of sanitary services challenges some of our assumptions about the cultures of commerce, politeness and the world of
goods in the long eighteenth century.
—
Location: The Wellcome Library, 183 Euston Road, London, NW1 2BE.
Doors open at 6pm and we’ll start the seminar at 6.15pm.
More info: http://blog.wellcomelibrary.org/2015/02/polite-and-polluted-nightmen-and-the-selling-of-sanitary-services-in-london-c-1600-c-1850/
With best wishes,
Ross
Ross MacFarlane
Research Engagement Officer
Wellcome Library
Wellcome Trust
Gibbs Building
215 Euston Road
London
NW1 2BE, UK
r.macfarlane@wellcome.ac.uk
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