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History of medicine and health, which in the past has
been seen solely in terms of the history of great medical
men and scientific discoveries or retrospective diagnosis
is now viewed as a much more complex and nuanced subject
in which, on the one hand, the patient is seen as a more
active and less passive agent and, on the other, government
actions are seen as a result of negotiation between a
series of interested parties.
This discipline includes many areas of research, from
the examination of the history of the evolution of medical
science to the history of medical and charitable institutions,
from the technical improvement of instruments to legislation
aimed to combat disease. The study of these themes has
become important not only for scholars and for the people
employed in the medical and paramedical field, but also
for the general reader interested in history.
The importance of channelling this general interest in
and study of medical history in Florence was recognised
and led to the establishment in Florence of a Centre for
the Documentation for the History of Health and Welfare.
This Centre was established as a point of reference for
the research, conservation and the spread of information
and knowledge about the resources available for history
of medicine and health, including archival and printed
resources and the material culture of health, including
medical instruments.
The Centro di Documentazione per la Storia dell’Assistenza
e della Sanità Fiorentina was founded in July 1998
as a non-profit making association. The founder members
of this association are: the University of Florence, the
Florentine Commune, the Province of Florence, the Order
of Doctors and Dentists, the Local Health Authority (Azienda
USL 10 di Firenze), and the two hospitals of Careggi and
Meyer.
The Centre is made up by a board of directors, a President
and a Scientific Committee and co-ordinated by a President
and a Scientific Secretariat.
The aim of the Centre is to promote initiatives to publicise
and conserve the records of all historical and scientific
records and instruments owned by all these institutions
that worked and work in the scientific, medical and charitable
field.
The Centre is based in the old part of the ex-hospital
of S. Giovanni di Dio at 20 Borgognissanti, Florence.
The first hospital on this site, the Spedaletto di Santa
Maria dell’Umiltà, was established in 1380
by Simone Vespucci. Then in 1588 it was taken over by
the friars of the Order of San Giovanni di Dio, best known
as the Fatebenefratelli or Frati della Sporta (‘friars
of the basket’) because of their custom of begging
for alms to support the poor of the hospital. It was with
their arrival that the hospital developed a proper medical
role, which lasted util the suppression of the Order in
1866. This medical role in fact continued without break
until 1983, when the hospital moved to new premises in
Florence at the Nuovo San Giovanni di Dio in Torregalli;
the old building in Borgognissanti has been assigned a
social and charitable role.
Recently the Local Health Authority decided that from
the beginning of 2002 they would provide extra space for
the Centre, consisting of rooms on the first floor of
the ex-hospital next to the Centre. These rooms, which
had formed part of the hospital extension built in 1730-1734
and had been the old ‘medicherie’ (first aid
rooms), had originally been two spaces which are now united
as a large hall with two recessed arched windows facing
onto the courtyard. This hall measuring 150 square metres
will become the library and will house various collections,
including: antiquarian books from the 18th and 19th centuries
from the suppressed hospital of S. Francesco di Marradi,
the collection of scientific and pediatric books of the
first half of the 20th century donated by Professor Mya,
an historical section belonging to the hospital of Santa
Maria Nuova, the historical books and collection of journals
belonging to the Department of Scienze Neurologiche e
Psichiatriche of the University of Florence, and all the
books concerning the history of medicine and health which
the Centre is acquiring. This collection will form the
basis for the service which will be provided by the Centre
as a specialist reference library which will be complementary
to the services offered by the other libraries in the
city. The “Cassa di Risparmio di Firenze” bank
has provided the finances to transform and furnish these
rooms for their new role.
The Centre also has two store-rooms in which large-scale
surgical and medical instruments are kept as well as books
and journals waiting to be catalogued.
Aims of the Centro di Documentazione
(-) To collaborate in the conservation and improvement
of their holdings of scientific, historical, artistic,
documentary and printed resources in the general area
of the history of social and health care institutions.
(-) To promote knowledge about the history of health,
and the evolution of the concept of health through the
promotion of initiatives devoted to teaching and information.
(-) To promote studies and research in the history of
health and welfare.
(-) To improve the material culture of the history of
medicine and of health (medical instruments and tools,
archival and documentary collections) kept in public institutions
promoting their preservation and conservation.
(-) To develop relationships, collaboration and exchanges
with similar institutions, whether private or public in
Italy or abroad, which are working in the whole area of
the history of health or medicine, the history of welfare,
medical anthropology and philosophy.
[ italian version ] |
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