Chimie et alchimie dans la santé et la maladie

Alchemy and Chemistry in Sickness and in Health  

Call for Papers

6th SHAC Postgraduate Workshop
Maison Française, University of  Oxford
(Friday, 30 October 2015)

This year the annual postgraduate workshop of the Society for the History of Alchemy and Chemistry (SHAC) will take place in the UK, at the Maison Française, Oxford. The workshop offers postgraduate students and early-career researchers the opportunity to share ideas, explore methodological issues and network in a stimulating atmosphere. There will also be the chance to

engage with two keynote speakers:

Prof. Robert J. Flanagan (King’s College Hospital)

Dr Stephen Pumfrey (Lancaster University)

The theme for 2015, ‘Alchemy and Chemistry in Sickness and Health’, seeks to explore the relationship between alchemy and chemistry on the one hand and, on the other, the health of individuals and/or of society as a whole. Topics may address the intentional use of alchemy and chemistry for purposes relating to health or the unintended side-effects of their employment in this area.

We would like to invite papers (between 15 and 20 minutes) on topics related to the workshop theme in any historical period. Please submit an abstract of up to 200 words by email to the SHAC student representatives, Judith Mawer (Goldsmiths, University of London) and Mike A. Zuber (University of Amsterdam), studentrep@ambix.org. The deadline for the submission of proposals is 30 July 2015.

Presenters should either be currently enrolled as postgraduate students or active as junior researchers (within three years of PhD  completion).

Possible topics include but are by no means  limited to:

• alchemical/chemical treatments of physical or mental health issues
• health hazards within or emerging from the laboratory
• historical attitudes on the relationship between
• alchemy/chemistry and health
• alchemical/chemical theories of sickness and health
• development and use of iatrochemical/pharmaceutical solutions for disease prevention, treatment, diagnostics or well-being

The workshop is free of charge. Bursaries are available towards the cost of travel and/or accommodation for confirmed presenters in the first instance.