Note:
Below you will find a few suggestions for searching this topic. These suggestions aren't the only way to find materials, but they may help to get you started.
Herpes
I. Find Background
- The Cambridge World History of Human Disease
Note: Do not use the search window at the top. Scroll down to Search in this book. View PDF to read the article.Includes a great section on the history of the disease. Don't forget to review the bibliography at the end for references to early medical texts or other histories of herpes. Ask Us for help finding the references. - AccessScience
II. Search the Library Catalog
To find scientific (medical/psychiatric) texts and possibly some primary source material (for example, people discussing what it's like to live with the condition)
- Go to the library catalog
- Search terms: Herpes
- You can also explore related subject headings and subheadings to improve our search. In the left-hand menu, under Limit Your Search, scroll down to Subject and more to see all the subject headings and subheadings. Some promising subject headings & subheadings: Herpes genitalis > Social aspects and Sexually transmitted diseases > Social aspects.
III. Find current Scholarly Journal Articles (secondary sources)
- PubMed
A search for "herpes" returns a huge number of articles. Too many to sort through! Search tips:
Select the Advanced Search;
Scroll down below the first search window. Where it says [All Fields], use the pull down menu to select [title] (near the bottom of the list):
Enter: "herpes" and overview. . - PsycInfo
Suggested search terms to start: herpes and history
IV. Find current “popular” (i.e. written for the general public, rather than for specialists) articles about herpes
- Proquest Research Library
Enter your search terms;
Place quotation marks around phrases;
From the list of results, filter to Magazines; and select a time period;
Under Publication Titles, select "more" to select specific magazine titles of interest.
V. Are there historical newspaper articles about herpes?
Question! Was it ever called something else? Try those terms too. For example: herpes OR herpetic
- Proquest Historical Newspapers
Select the Advanced Search;
Add your search terms, for example, herpes or herpetic;
Scroll down to choose Document types;
If you wish use the date limits on the left to restrict your results to a particular date range. - American Periodicals
This database contains periodicals published between 1740 and 1940, including special interest and general magazines, literary and professional journals, children's and women's magazines and many other historically-significant periodicals.
Select the Advanced Search;
Add your search terms;
Scroll down to choose Document type(s);
Adjust date ranges, if desired.
V. Find more articles about the history of herpes
Iincluding some historical articles that may be considered primary sources (how the condition was understood at various points in history). Question! Was it called something else/described differently? Try those terms too. For example: herpes OR herpetic