Papers by Luisa Rittershaus
Medizinhistorisches Journal
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Every historical period has its characteristic epidemic. In the Middle Ages, up to one-third of t... more Every historical period has its characteristic epidemic. In the Middle Ages, up to one-third of the European population died of the plague epidemic called the Black Death (1346 to 1353). Later, cholera, Spanish flu, and AIDS terrified the population. Every epidemic triggered social changes and functioned as a catalyst for developments, which were already taking place. In addition to the often-devastating impact on life and health, epidemics and pandemics hold potential for innovations. The Black Death certainly led to a rising standard of living and is even said to have accelerated the development of printing. In the 19th century, cholera was considered to be a motor of sanitary reforms, such as central water supply and sewerage. The current Sars-CoV-2 pandemic clearly shows that epidemics are still part of human history and not just, as has long been believed, limited to the Global South.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Every historical period has its characteristic epidemic. In the Middle Ages, up to one-third of t... more Every historical period has its characteristic epidemic. In the Middle Ages, up to one-third of the European population died of the plague epidemic called the Black Death (1346 to 1353). Later, cholera, Spanish flu, and AIDS terrified the population. Every epidemic triggered social changes and functioned as a catalyst for developments, which were already taking place. In addition to the often-devastating impact on life and health, epidemics and pandemics hold potential for innovations. The Black Death certainly led to a rising standard of living and is even said to have accelerated the development of printing. In the 19th century, cholera was considered to be a motor of sanitary reforms, such as central water supply and sewerage. The current Sars-CoV-2 pandemic clearly shows that epidemics are still part of human history and not just, as has long been believed, limited to the Global South.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Food and History, 2014
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Health, 2013
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Medizinhistorisches Journal, 2010
Breastfeeding is considered to be the key variable for infant health. Consequently, UNICEF and th... more Breastfeeding is considered to be the key variable for infant health. Consequently, UNICEF and the World Health Organization promote the beginning of breastfeeding within the first hour after birth and recommend to exclusively breastfeed the infant during the first six months. The origins of these modern breastfeeding campaigns can be traced back to the beginning of the twentieth century. Whereas high infant mortality rates traditionally were considered to be a matter of fate, declining birth rates towards the end of the nineteenth century raised fears about the nation's future and led to the emergence of an increasing infant welfare movement in Imperial Germany. As low breastfeeding rates were identified as a key factor behind the high infant mortality rates, the main objective of the infant care movement was to increase breastfeeding. The paper, therefore, focuses on medical breastfeeding recommendations and the attempts to popularize breastfeeding. At first, a sketch of medic...
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
What does a plague look like? What images correspond to it? Just as visual synonyms for the pande... more What does a plague look like? What images correspond to it? Just as visual synonyms for the pandemic are formed in the media, the depiction of epidemics in the visual arts is a recurring topos, as art has always been a seismograph for social occurrences, moods, or political developments. This article shows how epidemics have been reflected in art history and illustrates three different representations using graphics from the graphic collection Mensch und Tod (Human and Death) at the Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf as examples.
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Health, Volume 5, Number 12, December 2013
Bookmarks Related papers MentionsView impact
Uploads
Papers by Luisa Rittershaus