Gallows Medicine

Law Review Squared

In the 18th century, some folk-medicine treatments were the byproduct of the legal system. Our panel of 21st century law students consider an article which describes them. Why do people believe in superstitions? How has that influenced how we've responded to Covid? Can belief induce a placebo effect in medicine? What is the role of government in supporting public health?

The article discussed was: Roberta M. Harding, Rubbing the Rabbit's Foot: Gallows, Superstitions, and Public Healthcare in England during the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries, 25 B.U. Pub. Int. L.J. 359 (2016).

Host: Seth Trott

Panel: Schenley Kent, Jo Ann Fernando, Tony Fernando, Vishal Bajpai

Audio: Mohammed Saleem

Producer: Tony Fernando