Diseases, Epidemics and Plagues in Human History

elective courses
general courses

Lectures are directed to all years and all faculties of the University of Warsaw

Classroom and field classes

The lectures will deal with the history of the most important infectious diseases that have affected humanity from ancient times to the present day. The title topics of the lectures will include plague, cholera, typhus, smallpox and COVID-19. Students will learn how epidemics and pandemics decided the fate of selected nations, countries and cities. A lot of emphasis will be put on the history of Warsaw in the context of the fight against diseases and epidemics. The history of the diseases will also be discussed through the prism of art, literature and film. Students will find out what impact epidemics and plague had on demography and social affairs. They will learn about the most famous rulers, artists and writers who struggled with the most deadly diseases. Symptoms and methods of treatment will be presented too (in a historical context). The invitation to classes is addressed to both supporters of humanities and representatives of medical sciences.

Full course description The invitation to participate in the course is addressed to people interested in the history of the most famous diseases that humanity struggled from ancient times to modern times. The main purpose of the lectures will be presentation of pandemics and epidemics in a historical context, as well as against the background of paintings, sculptures, literary and film works. The students will become familiar with the most famous rulers, politicians, artists, writers and actors who struggled with the title ailments. There will also be shown an impact of diseases on the development, demography and urban planning of selected cities (Paris, London, Vienna, New York, Venice). Much emphasis will also be placed on the importance of infectious diseases in Polish-Italian relations. The lectures will include the history of Poland and Warsaw through the prism of the history of diseases and epidemics. The most important drugs, vaccines and their inventors will be presented too. The lecturer will indicate diseases’ symptoms and treatment methods both in the past and today.

The course will consist of 15 classes. Each lecture will last 90 minutes.

Basic topics:

1. Introductory lecture

2. Plaque

3. Smallpox

4. Syphilis

5. Leprosy

6. Tuberculosis

7. Malaria

8. Yellow Fever

9. Cholera

10. Influenza

11. Typhus

12. AIDS

13. Ebola

14. SARS-CoV-1 i MERS

15. COVID-19

1. T. Brzeziński, Historia medycyny, Warszawa 1995.

2. Z. Gajda, Do historii medycyny wprowadzenie, Kraków 2011.

3. W. Szumowski, Historia medycyny, Warszawa 1961.

4. M. Łyskanowski, Medycyna i lekarze dawnej Warszawy, Warszawa 1976.

5. G. Paul, 50 faktów z historii medycyny, Warszawa 2016.

6. J. Aberth, Spektakle masowej śmierci: plagi, zarazy, epidemie, Warszawa 2012.

7. J. Brown, Grypa: sto lat walki, Kraków 2019.

8. A. Karpiński, W walce z niewidzialnym wrogiem, Warszawa 2000.

9. K. Polek, Ł. Sroka (red.), Epidemie w dziejach Europy, Kraków 2016.

10. Sz. Wrzesiński. Epidemie w dawnej Polsce, Zakrzewo 2011.

11. Christopher Duncan, Susan Scott, Czarna śmierć: epidemie w Europie od starożytności do czasów współczesnych, Warszawa 2008.

12. J. Ruffié, Jean Ch. Soumia, Historia epidemii: od dżumy do AIDS, Warszawa 1996.

13. A. Nitsch-Osuch, A. Tyszkiewicz (red.), Od dżumy do COVID-19. Choroby, epidemie i pandemie w medycynie i humanistyce, Warszawa 2022.

After completing the course the student:

- has basic knowledge about the most famous diseases from ancient times to the 21st century,

- can describe the symptoms and main methods of treatment of the title diseases,

- knows the profiles of famous doctors and researchers who contributed to preventing the development of epidemics,

- understands disease prevention methods, both historical and contemporary,

- knows, how to identify the most important works of art and literature as well as film images related to the topic of the course,

- recognizes the importance of diseases, epidemics in the history of humanity, Poland and Warsaw,

- knows examples of the influence of infectious diseases on cultural and scientific relations between Poland and Italy,

- recognizes the relationship between important historical moments and the impact of diseases on society,

- can assign epidemic outbreak areas,

- knows how to characterize the history of selected cities in an epidemiological context

Completion of classes will take place on the basis of the controlled presence. In addition, during the last meeting a short test will close questions.