Syllabus
1. Introduction: Methods, Terms, Sources, Humoral Theory.
2. Medicine, Magic and Religion.
3. Foods for Body and Soul: Regimen and Diet in medical theory and practice.
4. Women’s medicine and women medics: Trota of Salerno and Hildegard of Bingen
5. Monastic Medicine
6. Medicine, Ethnicity and Gender: The Use and Abuse of Philosophy.
7. Towns, Guilds, Universities: the myth of the ‘medieval’ witch trial
8. Leprosy
9. Hospitals and Crusaders
10. Reformation, Dissolution and the Myth of the Medieval
11. Student presentations
12. Student presentations
Annotation
The course will introduce methods and topics for the study of pre modern Western medicine, that is medicine practiced primarily in Western Europe from the time of the Roman Empire to the establishment of prestigious medical faculties at Universities throughout Europe. The history of medicine is not just the history of great doctors, but is also the history of the diseases that every human suffered, from deadly pandemics such as the Black Death to the natural processes of birth, aging and death.
Weekly primary source readings will be taken from the book: Winston Black, 'Medicine and Healing in the Premodern West: A History in Documents' (Ontario, 2020)
I will also recommend reading selected chapters of Seb Falk, 'The Light Ages: A Medieval Journey of Discovery' (Allan Lane, 2020)
Additional readings will be uploaded via SIS.
Both of these books will be available in the Faculty Library. Please be considerate when borrowing.