Lecture Notes: European Medicine in the Anglo-Saxon and Middle Ages

Overview

• The lecture provides a broad overview of European medicine from the fall of the Roman Empire to the Renaissance.
• Focus on Anglo-Saxon and Middle Ages period.
• Emphasis on pointers for further research rather than detailed information.
• Caution against the tendency to dismiss historical practices as primitive.

Druid Medicine in Celtic Britain

• Druid Medicine: Well-advanced and respected during the Roman invasion of Britain (AD 43).
  • Knowledge mainly derived from Welsh records.
  • Druids were spiritual leaders; ovates studied natural sciences, including medicine.
  • Existence of a class of physicians in Wales with defined roles and responsibilities in law.
• Historical Challenges:
  • Romanticization and revisionism issues, e.g., Iolo Morganwg's historical forgeries.
  • Despite issues, Celts had sophisticated understandings using herbs like mistletoe, meadowsweet, mint, and vervain.

Anglo-Saxon Medicine

• Sources of Knowledge:
  1. Judeo-Christian traditions.
  2. Classical texts.
  3. Native Northern European law.
• Cultural Background:
  • Anglo-Saxons' origins: Northern Europe, not native English.
  • Introduction of Northern European plant usage in England.
  • Records mentioning over 500 plant names and uses.
• Judeo-Christian Influence:
  • Diseases seen as manifestations of human evil or tests of faith.
  • Conflict between divine will and classical medical texts.
  • Monasteries were primary centers for medical training and treatment until the rise of universities.
  • Spiritual diseases removed from medical texts due to divine associations (e.g., epilepsy, depression).
  • Limited new medical advancements due to suspicion of innovation.
  • Monastic dispensaries (officina) as centers for herb usage.
  • Plants with species name "officinalis" used in monastic medicine.

Conclusion

• The lecture ends with a promise to continue the discussion in a subsequent part.