Cowles Library at Drake University in Des Moines is hosting traveling expedition “The Literature of Prescription: Charlotte Perkins Gilman and ‘The Yellow Wall-Paper’” from July 2^nd – August 11^th. The exhibit will be on display in the front lobby entrance and is sponsored by the National Library of Medicine and the National Institutes of Health. ‘The Yellow Wall-Paper’ is a short story written by Gilman in 1892 which describes her personal struggle with “nervous depression” and her attempt to overcome the condition. The exhibit examines Gilman’s story, which challenged traditional medical opinions of the time. There is no charge to view the exhibit and it is open to the public.

In addition, Drake University College of Pharmacy and Health Sciences has partnered with Cowles Library to host Dr. Gregory J. Higby, the Executive Director of the American Institute of the History of Pharmacy at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Dr. Higby’s historical expertise regarding the early treatment of depression can be heard on Thursday, July 26^th as he presents “Melancholia and Medicines: The Treatment of Depression before Prozac.” The lecture will be given at 7:00 in the evening in the Cowles Library Reading Room and will be followed by a short reception. The event is free and open to the public.

Cowles Library is located at 2507 University Avenue in Des Moines. For more information on the exhibit, please visit: http://library.drake.edu/.

An online version of ‘The Yellow Wall-Paper’ is available at: http://www.gutenberg.org/catalog/world/readfile?pageno=1&fk_files=2004928.

For more information about Dr. Gregory J. Higby, please visit: http://apps.pharmacy.wisc.edu/sopdir/52.