Overview
This lecture covers the history, symptoms, treatments, and societal impacts of leprosy in the Middle Ages, focusing on its medical understanding and social responses.
Understanding Leprosy
- Leprosy (also called Hansen's disease) is a chronic infectious disease caused by Mycobacterium leprae.
- Symptoms include lesions on the skin, nerve damage, and, in advanced cases, deformities.
- Transmission is slow and primarily occurs through respiratory droplets between people with prolonged close contact.
Leprosy in Medieval Society
- Leprosy was feared and often misunderstood in the Middle Ages.
- Medieval people believed leprosy was highly contagious and a punishment for sin.
- Leprosy sufferers were often segregated into "leprosaria" or leper houses outside towns.
- Leprosaria provided basic care but also acted as a form of social exclusion.
Treatments and Beliefs
- Treatments included herbal remedies, dietary restrictions, and spiritual interventions, but were largely ineffective.
- The Church played a significant role, sometimes offering support or interpreting leprosy as a spiritual trial.
- Leprosy was often confused with other skin conditions due to limited medical knowledge.
Social and Legal Responses
- Laws restricted social contact between leprosy patients and the healthy population.
- Rituals marking a leprosy diagnosis sometimes resembled a "living death," including exclusion from society and symbolic funerals.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Leprosy (Hansen's disease) — a chronic, infectious disease causing skin lesions and nerve damage.
- Leprosaria — specialized institutions for isolating and caring for those with leprosy.
- Stigma — strong negative perception or discrimination attached to a group or disease.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Review class notes on medieval disease and public health responses.
- Read assigned textbook chapter on leprosy for further historical examples.