A History of the Stomach (Exploring the Body lecture series)
When:
—
Venue:
External
No booking required
Vertical banded gastroplasty surgery (or stomach-stapling) has drawn attention in recent decades to the hidden, but unruly, stomach. This organ has been the focus of weight-control regimes for centuries, however. This lecture looks at nineteenth-century fads involving stomachs, including the medical prescription of tapeworms that were supposed to live in a person’s stomach and “eat” food on their behalf. It also explores ideas about the relationship between a person’s stomach and their personality. It traces these medical ideas through to the present.
A History of the Stomach is part of a series of lectures on the body given by Professor Joanna Bourke, Professor of History at Birkbeck University of London, and Gresham Professor of Rhetoric.
Attendance is free. No reservations are required. The lecture is run on a ‘first come, first served’ basis. Doors will open 30 minutes before the start of the lecture. More information about the event can be found here.
You can read more about the series on the Birkbeck website.
Barnard's Inn Hall, Gresham College:
https://www.gresham.ac.uk/about/venues/barnards-inn-hall/
Contact name:
Department of History, Classics and Archaeology