City of Belmont - Ruth Faulkner Public Library

Dragon's blood & willow bark, the mysteries of medieval medicine, Toni Mount

Includes bibliographical references and index

Dragon's blood & willow bark

Toni Mount

the mysteries of medieval medicine

WORLD HISTORY: C 500 TO C 1500. A time when butchers and executioners knew more about anatomy than university-trained physicians - the phrase 'Medieval Medicine' conjures up horrors for us with our modern ideas on hygiene, instant pain relief and effective treatments. Although no one could allay the dread of plague, the medical profession provided cosmetic procedures, women's sanitary products, dietary advice and horoscopes predicting the sex of unborn babies or the best day to begin a journey. Surgeons performed life-saving procedures, sometimes using anaesthetics, with post-operative antibiotic and antiseptic treatments to reduce the chances of infection. They knew a few tricks to lessen the scarring, too. Yet alongside such expertise, some still believed that unicorns, dragons and elephants supplied vital medical ingredients and the caladrius bird could diagnose recovery or death. This is the weird, wonderful and, occasionally, beneficial world of medieval medicine

Dragon's blood and willow bark