author
Lester S. (Lester Snow) King
1908–2002
A physician and historian of medicine, he wrote clear, thoughtful books that trace how medical ideas changed over time. His work connects science, history, and the practical judgment doctors rely on every day.
1 Audiobook
Medical investigation in seventeenth century England
by Charles W. Bodemer, Lester S. (Lester Snow) King
About the author
Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts, Lester Snow King (April 18, 1908 – October 6, 2002) built a career that crossed medicine, editing, journalism, and scholarship. He studied at Harvard College and Harvard Medical School, later worked as a pathologist, and served in Michigan during World War II before joining the University of Illinois Medical School.
King became especially known for writing about the history and philosophy of medicine. He also worked with the Journal of the American Medical Association as a senior editor and later taught as a professorial lecturer in the history of medicine at the University of Chicago. Across these roles, he developed a reputation for explaining medical thought with precision and common sense.
His books include Medical Thinking: A Historical Preface and studies of early modern medicine, including the eighteenth century. Rather than treating medical history as a list of dates and discoveries, he used it to show how doctors reason, how ideas rise and fall, and why careful judgment matters in every era.