This contribution concerns the role of the Victorian newspaper correspondence column in advancing knowledge of dermatology in relation to corporal punishment. It explores The Times' coverage of an inquest into the death by flogging of a British soldier. I argue that on the one hand, The Times participated in the debate about flogging in the army by bringing forward skin anatomy as an argument against corporal punishment. On the other hand, the paper might have used the publication of letters with medical content as a marketing strategy to maintain its authority and credibility against accusations of sensationalism.
Date of publication
Jul 20, 2017
Category:
Article
Reading dermatology in the Victorian newspaper. The performance of medical vocabulary in The Times correspondence column
Volume 16Issue 032017Special Issue: History of Science Communication, 2017 (History of Scicomm)