title: Public health and the civilizing process.
abstract: Since the Middle Ages, European society has passed through two successive stages in the "civilizing process." Each has been attended by profound changes in psychological and social codes. These are examined in relation to a greater concern with health and hygiene in response to four waves of epidemics: leprosy, plague, syphilis, and cholera. Speculations are offered about AIDS and the "civilizing process".
mesh_terms: D000163:Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome; D001294:Attitude to Health; D002771:Cholera / Q000266:history; D004196:Disease Outbreaks / Q000266:history; D005060:Europe; D049668:History, 15th Century; D049669:History, 16th Century; D049670:History, 17th Century; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D006920:Hygiene; D007918:Leprosy / Q000266:history; D008512:Medicine in the Arts; D010930:Plague / Q000266:history; D011634:Public Health / Q000266:history*; D012924:Social Conditions / Q000266:history; D013587:Syphilis / Q000266:history; D014481:United States