Hi All, I am looking for some clear advice on what to write my masters dissertation on. I know that I want to focus on medical history in the UK post 1700 but whenever I start trying to narrow it down further I just end up having more options! I am trying to stay away from 'pop' subjects like grave robbers and body snatching and instead focusing on perhaps a more narrow area - perhaps Wales? Or even Edinburgh? Is this a good idea, or again, is it not focused enough? Am I overthinking this?? I have tried to speak to the relevant staff member but she is on holiday for another 4 weeks. I would be very grateful for any advice or suggestions!
I would recommend narrowing it down exactly as you are: pick a locality or region that you will focus on (you should definitely have a section with broader regional/global context-- but positioning your smaller study as part of something bigger is a great way to kick off).
Then, if you are interested in medical/health history-- I would suggest looking at a particular disease or outbreak and practices surrounding it-- unless you cross into the twentieth century you are dealing with a time period in which belief in miasmas dominated a great deal of medical theory and practice. That can lead to lots of different and interesting strategies for healing-- like using fresh soil to 'soak' up disease-- strategies which provide interesting windows into how people understood nature/the environment around them.
Post-1700s means health topics related to industrialization such as squalid urban conditions or changes in diet are always interesting. Attempts by local councils to reform urban environments through sewering or animal hunts/bounties are also pretty interesting and allows for some environment/health crossover.
Goodluck! There is a lot there; narrow it down by place and topic. I suggest looking for sources and just see what you find-- to a great extent that may well determine what you can/cannot write about.
Why not take a look at previous medical history master's dissertations/theses and see what kinds of topics people have narrowed it down to? That might help give you some guidance of what you're looking at--like, analyzing a specific body of texts, or looking at a group of medical practitioners in one city.
Also, think about what you're interested in in broad terms: is medical history interesting to you because of how medicine/sickness are talked about in society? because of how sickness and treatment affect different social groups? the economics of being different types of medical practitioner? and so forth. One thing you might do is think about which secondary books you've liked the most. That's a pretty good clue as to what kind of angle you'll want to take. :)
Speaking from experience of getting a masters in history of science and technology, go to the dissertation/thesis section in your university library. If nothing else, it will eliminate subjects that have been overdone. Also, have any medical practitioners/researchers donated their papers to the university archives or your local historical museum/society? Skimming the finding aids can sometimes make a particular topic pop out.
Write down the aspects of history of medicine that interest you most instead of keeping it bouncing around in your head. Once you have written them down, create a subject tree. How do these different aspects fit together, if it all?
Go back over your previous papers. Is there an avenue you were not able to pursue because of time/length restrictions that may be expandable into a thesis-length paper?