Medieval Medicine: Its Mysteries and Science

by Toni Mount

Overview

Conjuring up a time when butchers and executioners knew more about anatomy than university-trained physicians, the phrase ‘medieval medicine’ sounds horrific to those of us with modern ideas on hygiene, instant pain relief and effective treatments. In those days no one could allay the dread of plague or the many other horrible diseases we have now forgotten. However, the medieval medical profession provided patients with everything from cosmetic procedures and dietary advice to life-saving surgeries and post-operative antibiotics. Intriguingly, alongside such expertise, some still believed that unicorns, dragons and elephants supplied vital medical ingredients and that horoscopes could predict the sex of unborn babies.This book explores the labyrinth of strange ideas and unlikely remedies that make up the weird, wonderful and occasionally beneficial world of medieval medicine.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781445655420
Publisher:	Amberley Publishing
Publication date:	04/15/2016
Pages:	304
Product dimensions:	4.90(w) x 7.70(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Toni Mount has been a history teacher for fifteen years. She has an MA by Research on medieval medical manuscripts from the University of Kent. Born in London, Toni now lives in Gravesend, Kent.

Table of Contents

Introduction 7

1 Dirt, Disease and Danger 11

2 Medicine and the Church 34

3 Adam Knew Everything! 51

4 Diagnosing the Problem 73

5 Prognosis - Foretelling Whether the Patient Will Live or Die 88

6 Treating the Problem - From the Sensible to the Unbelievable 99

7 When the Doctor - or the Patient - Is a Woman 126

8 Malpractice and Misbehaviour - Medicine Goes to Court 152

9 Medicine on the Battlefield 171

10 Passing on Ideas 187

11 Tudor Medicine 200

12 Progress in Medicine? 226

Conclusion 250

Acknowledgements 254

Notes 256

Bibliography 271

List of Illustrations 279

Index 282