Emerging themes in the history of medicine.

The critical themes that have emerged in medical history over the last 25 years reflect the development of a "new social history of medicine." The earlier focus on the evolution of medical knowledge has been replaced by work that emphasizes the nature of the social responses to disease, their sociocultural meanings and historical epidemiology. Because medical historiography reflects debates and questions in contemporary medical culture, the AIDS epidemic is likely to have an important impact on the study of medical history in the immediate future.