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By Michele Clouse, Ohio UniversityBridging the gap between histories of medicine and political/institutionalhistories of the early modern crown, this book explores the relationship between one of the most highly bureaucratic regimes in early modern Europe, Spain and crown interest in and regulation of medical practices.Complementing recent histories that have emphasized the interdependentnature of governance between the crown and municipalities in 16thcenturySpain, this study argues that medical policies were the resultof negotiation and cooperation among the crown, the towns and medicalpractitioners. Bringing to life a cast of characters from early modern Spain,from the female empiric who practiced bonesetting and surgery to theuniversity-trained, Latin physician whose medical textbook standardizedmedical education in the universities, the book broadens the scopeof medical history to include not only the development of medical theoryand innovative practice, but also the complex tensions between variousauthorities that influenced the development and nature of medical practiceand perceptions of “public health” in early modern Europe.Juxtaposing the history of medicine with the history of early modern statebuildingbrings a unique perspective to this challenging book that reassessesthe relationship between the monarch and intellectual milieu of medicinein Spain. It further challenges the dominance of studies of medicalregulation from France and England and illuminates a diverse andinnovative world of Spanish medical practice that has been neglectedin standard histories of early modern medicine.Ashgate PublishingPO Box 2225Williston VT 05495-2225 USAToll-free: 1-800-535-9544Email: orders@ashgate.comWeb: www.ashgate.comThe History of Medicine in ContextMichele L. Clouse, Ohio University&#160;ASHGATEPlease visit www.ashgate.com for sample pages New Now available from Ashgate Publishing…Contents:Preface;Introduction: “The importance of the matter to the public health”;Protecting the public health:Tribunal del Protomedicato;Medical education at the University;Empirics, surgeons, and experiential;Medicine:Patronage and legitimization;The apothecary’s profession:Cooperation and professionalization;Poor relief:Cooperation and resistance;Epilogue;Bibliography;Index.December 2011 208 pagesHardback 978-1-4094-3794-9 $114.95eBook 978-1-4094-3795-6www.ashgate.com/isbn/9781409437949&#160;