Jeff Wolf
I completed my undergraduate studies in philosophy at Princeton University, where I wrote a senior thesis on a topic in epistemology and philosophical logic (A.B., Princeton, 2002).
I began graduate work in philosophy at UC Berkeley but switched to history (and the history of science in particular) after two years. I obtained my M.A. in history from Berkeley in 2008.
I decided to continue my graduate studies in history at the University of Edinburgh. I began doctoral research in history—with a focus on the history of science and medicine—in September 2009.
In early 2015, I obtained my PhD in history, writing a PhD thesis on the life and work of the Enlightenment Physician, Dr. William Cullen (1710-1790).
In October 2023, I became a postdoctoral fellow in digital humanities for the ERC-StG project VERITRACE. I am affiliated with the Centre for Logic and Philosophy of Science within the Department of History, Archaeology, Arts, Philosophy and Ethics (HARP) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel
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I began graduate work in philosophy at UC Berkeley but switched to history (and the history of science in particular) after two years. I obtained my M.A. in history from Berkeley in 2008.
I decided to continue my graduate studies in history at the University of Edinburgh. I began doctoral research in history—with a focus on the history of science and medicine—in September 2009.
In early 2015, I obtained my PhD in history, writing a PhD thesis on the life and work of the Enlightenment Physician, Dr. William Cullen (1710-1790).
In October 2023, I became a postdoctoral fellow in digital humanities for the ERC-StG project VERITRACE. I am affiliated with the Centre for Logic and Philosophy of Science within the Department of History, Archaeology, Arts, Philosophy and Ethics (HARP) at the Vrije Universiteit Brussel
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Thesis Chapters by Jeff Wolf
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This is a study of the life and thought of Dr. William Cullen (1710-1790), the Scottish chemist, physician, and professor of medicine, who was a significant figure in the Scottish Enlightenment.
I argue that Cullen was both a more unorthodox figure in Scottish medicine than he is generally depicted, as well as a more ambitious one. Despite his controversial doctrines, he skillfully managed the hierarchy of his profession and reached the pinnacle of success as a learned physician in the Scottish Enlightenment.
I explore Cullen’s contentious doctrines and hard-won triumphs by focusing on a few aspects of his life and thought. I analyse his pedagogical persona and philosophy of medicine, both of which shaped the experiences of his pupils. I show how his influential neurophysiology was rooted in his disputed interpretation of the nature of the nervous fluid. And I provide a detailed look at Cullen’s understanding of hygiene, or the art of health—a rarely-studied component of his practice of medicine.
Book Chapters by Jeff Wolf
Talks by Jeff Wolf
Dr. John Thomson, in his many years studying and writing about the life and work of Dr. William Cullen, wrote almost nothing about Cullen’s approach to the medical subject known as ‘hygiene’, or the art of preserving health. This might be unsurprising but for the fact that the longest, most substantial unpublished work in Cullen’s hand that survives is a lengthy, if incomplete, treatise on this very subject. It was one of the last writing projects that Cullen began, one which he told his former pupil, Dr. Benjamin Rush, that he was anxious to finish before he died.
In this paper, I argue that hygiene was a topic of special importance to Cullen, not just at the end of his life but throughout his career. I show, as well, how Cullen used his discussion of hygiene to illustrate and defend the medical expertise of the physician in contrast to the insights of common sense or individual experience. Finally, I note Cullen’s desire—common to the Scottish Enlightenment—to diffuse his medical knowledge of hygiene to a specific audience for public benefit. At the same time, he defended the traditional boundaries of the medical profession and insisted that curing disease, as opposed to preserving health, ought to remain closed to laymen."
Prizes by Jeff Wolf
The Scottish History Society is delighted to announce a call for applications for its annual prize of £350 to be awarded for the best transcription with historical introduction by a postgraduate student. The purpose of the prize is to recognise the excellent, and often unpublished, primary source discovery and transcription undertaken by postgraduate students. The competition is open to anyone registered for any postgraduate degree at any university or anyone within five years of graduation with a postgraduate qualification. Previous prize winners are not entitled to compete for the prize, but previously unsuccessful applicants are warmly encouraged to apply. Entry is not restricted to members of the Scottish History Society. The submission should be of previously unedited primary material and should have formed part of the postgraduate research project. For example, this might be a substantial transcription, or series of transcriptions, used for a dissertation or might be an appendix from a Ph.D. thesis. The documents submitted should be directly related to the history of Scotland and/or the Scots. The competition is not restricted to material from Scottish archives. Work submitted should not have been published by the entrant or by another. The prize winning entry will be considered for publication in a subsequent SHS miscellany volume. Thus, by entering into the competition, the prize winner agrees to his/her entry being read by a referee who may suggest improvements for publication. Applications which are deemed to be of sufficient quality but are not awarded the prize will also be considered for publication under the same conditions. The prize winner agrees, where feasible, to attend the SHS AGM (normally in December) to be awarded with the prize. The prize winner also agrees that their success be publicised by the SHS. The winner will receive membership to the society for one year as part of their prize."
Book Reviews by Jeff Wolf
Papers by Jeff Wolf
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This is a study of the life and thought of Dr. William Cullen (1710-1790), the Scottish chemist, physician, and professor of medicine, who was a significant figure in the Scottish Enlightenment.
I argue that Cullen was both a more unorthodox figure in Scottish medicine than he is generally depicted, as well as a more ambitious one. Despite his controversial doctrines, he skillfully managed the hierarchy of his profession and reached the pinnacle of success as a learned physician in the Scottish Enlightenment.
I explore Cullen’s contentious doctrines and hard-won triumphs by focusing on a few aspects of his life and thought. I analyse his pedagogical persona and philosophy of medicine, both of which shaped the experiences of his pupils. I show how his influential neurophysiology was rooted in his disputed interpretation of the nature of the nervous fluid. And I provide a detailed look at Cullen’s understanding of hygiene, or the art of health—a rarely-studied component of his practice of medicine.
Dr. John Thomson, in his many years studying and writing about the life and work of Dr. William Cullen, wrote almost nothing about Cullen’s approach to the medical subject known as ‘hygiene’, or the art of preserving health. This might be unsurprising but for the fact that the longest, most substantial unpublished work in Cullen’s hand that survives is a lengthy, if incomplete, treatise on this very subject. It was one of the last writing projects that Cullen began, one which he told his former pupil, Dr. Benjamin Rush, that he was anxious to finish before he died.
In this paper, I argue that hygiene was a topic of special importance to Cullen, not just at the end of his life but throughout his career. I show, as well, how Cullen used his discussion of hygiene to illustrate and defend the medical expertise of the physician in contrast to the insights of common sense or individual experience. Finally, I note Cullen’s desire—common to the Scottish Enlightenment—to diffuse his medical knowledge of hygiene to a specific audience for public benefit. At the same time, he defended the traditional boundaries of the medical profession and insisted that curing disease, as opposed to preserving health, ought to remain closed to laymen."
The Scottish History Society is delighted to announce a call for applications for its annual prize of £350 to be awarded for the best transcription with historical introduction by a postgraduate student. The purpose of the prize is to recognise the excellent, and often unpublished, primary source discovery and transcription undertaken by postgraduate students. The competition is open to anyone registered for any postgraduate degree at any university or anyone within five years of graduation with a postgraduate qualification. Previous prize winners are not entitled to compete for the prize, but previously unsuccessful applicants are warmly encouraged to apply. Entry is not restricted to members of the Scottish History Society. The submission should be of previously unedited primary material and should have formed part of the postgraduate research project. For example, this might be a substantial transcription, or series of transcriptions, used for a dissertation or might be an appendix from a Ph.D. thesis. The documents submitted should be directly related to the history of Scotland and/or the Scots. The competition is not restricted to material from Scottish archives. Work submitted should not have been published by the entrant or by another. The prize winning entry will be considered for publication in a subsequent SHS miscellany volume. Thus, by entering into the competition, the prize winner agrees to his/her entry being read by a referee who may suggest improvements for publication. Applications which are deemed to be of sufficient quality but are not awarded the prize will also be considered for publication under the same conditions. The prize winner agrees, where feasible, to attend the SHS AGM (normally in December) to be awarded with the prize. The prize winner also agrees that their success be publicised by the SHS. The winner will receive membership to the society for one year as part of their prize."