Distinguished surgeon and historian Seymour Schwartz, MD, will be at UMass Medical School for a talk and book signing on Wednesday, May 15. Dr. Schwartz will talk about his book Holystic Medicine: The Patron Saints of Medicine, in which he takes a secular view of the religious practice of invoking saints to cure disease and maintain wellness. His account of the history of the patron saints of medicine, the particular diseases or conditions they are associated with and why, is accompanied by an illustrated calendar that makes the book a work of art as well as scholarship.
The Distinguished Alumni Professor of Surgery at the University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, where he has served continuously as faculty and chair of surgery for decades, Schwartz is a prolific author. In recent years he has turned from medical texts to cartography and history, authoring eight nonfiction books including The Mapping of America, which is a well-regarded classic on the topic of mapping. Holystic Medicine is his most recent book, published in 2011.
Presented by The Worcester District Medical Society and the Humanities in Medicine Committee of the Lamar Soutter Library and free and open to the public, the book signing and reception will be held at 5:30 p.m. in the UMass Medical School Lobby. A talk will follow at 6 p.m. in the Faculty Conference Room. Copies of Holystic Medicine will be available for purchase.
