Home

Gesnerus

Gesnerus is the name most commonly associated with a scholarly journal dedicated to the history of medicine and the life sciences. The title honors Conrad Gesner, a 16th‑century Swiss naturalist, bibliographer, and encyclopedist whose work helped shape early modern natural history and scientific publishing.

Establishment and scope

Gesnerus was established in the mid-20th century by Swiss scholars and related institutions to provide a high-quality

Publication and reception

As a forum for historians of medicine and the life sciences, Gesnerus has facilitated dialogue among historians,

Legacy

The use of the name Gesnerus in scholarly contexts reinforces the link between Conrad Gesner’s interdisciplinary

venue
for
historiography
of
medicine,
biology,
and
related
fields.
The
journal
publishes
peer‑reviewed
research
articles,
review
essays,
bibliographies,
and
occasionally
conference
reports
or
translations.
Its
topics
span
the
social
and
cultural
dimensions
of
medicine,
the
history
of
medical
ethics,
pharmacology,
public
health,
and
the
development
of
scientific
thought,
with
attention
to
Switzerland
and
Europe
while
maintaining
an
international
orientation.
clinicians,
and
philosophers.
It
has
served
as
a
conduit
for
archival
studies,
biographical
work,
and
critical
syntheses
that
illuminate
how
medical
knowledge
and
practice
have
evolved.
Articles
have
appeared
in
multiple
languages
common
to
European
scholarship,
reflecting
its
broad
scholarly
audience
and
reach
within
the
history
of
science.
legacy
and
modern
history
of
science.
The
journal’s
long‑standing
association
with
the
history
of
medicine
and
the
life
sciences
positions
it
as
a
reference
point
for
researchers
examining
the
development
of
medical
knowledge
and
its
cultural
underpinnings.