Scholars and medicine in Sicily between the 18th and 19th centuries Medical knowledge and universal history Sicilian Medicine

Abstract

Inspired by the Enlightenment-era ideal of reconstructing a history of universal knowledge, the 18^th and 19^th centuries also saw the emergence of universal literary histories in Italy that were dedicated to the totality of humanistic and scientific knowledge. Two scholars – a Sicilian and a Spaniard who had lived a long time in Italy - contributed with monumental works, of which a large part was reserved for Sicilian medicine and the progress thereof. This interest shows the island’s intellectual ebullience and “openness” at the end of the 18^th century, not only towards philosophical ideas from beyond the Alps, but also of European medical conceptions which, in many instances – on the island – were reinterpreted and “adapted” to the local culture and needs.