The Human Body and Medieval Medicine

What do Medieval Medical Images tell us about Medieval attitudes to the Human Body and which Medical Interventions were thought to be possible and appropriate?

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The Zodiac Man: Influence of Astrology

The Zodiac Man is a medieval astrological image which is found in many medieval manuscripts. The image of the Zodiac Man is a diagram illustrating the influence of the twelve astrological signs over different parts of the human body. It was believed that each of the twelve signs of the zodiac presided over different parts of the body. For instance, Aries presides over the head, face, brain and eyes, whilst Capricorn presides over the knees, joints and the skeletal system.  The Zodiac Man would have been used by medical practitioners  for both diagnosing patients and determining when a surgical procedure could take place. The purpose of the diagram was to remind medical practitioners which zodiac signs influenced each human body part. This was especially important for determining when a surgical procedure could take place as the position of the moon determined when surgery could be conducted. It was believed that position of the moon in relation to the twelve zodiac signs determined when and where on the human body you can conduct surgery. Interestingly, when the moon is in a specific zodiac sign, the part of the human body which that zodiac sign presides over cannot be treated on, importantly you cannot bloodlet. For instance, when the moon is in Aquarius, practitioners cannot carry out surgery on the ankles, calves, or circulatory system. It is clear, that the image of the Zodiac Man was fundamental to practitioners in determining when to conduct surgery, as it demonstrates clearly which of the twelve zodiac signs preside over each part of the human body.  Knowledge of the Zodiac Man was vital for medical practitioners as it was a putative understanding that if surgery was conducted when the moon was positioned in the zodiac which presided over that body part then it was fatal to the patient. It is clear that medical practitioners included the Zodiac Man in their medical manuscripts to demonstrate their understanding of the influence of astrology on the human body, as astrology became an important part of medicine and the understanding of the human body in the middle ages. Posted by Heather Crosby

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Women in Medieval Medical Images: The Trotula of Salerno

What is intriguing when considering medieval medical images is the delineation and significance of women in medicine in the middle ages. Women, not only being depicted in illustrations such as the ‘Disease Woman’ but more importantly, manuscripts divulge the importance of women in medical surgery in the middle ages. What is evident is that women had notable eminence in childbirth and caesarean sections.

Interestingly, female practitioners within domestic establishments were comparatively respected and for the most part practiced within family spheres. Conspicuously in Italy, women could develop into knowledgeable and recognised practitioners. Albeit generally carrying out less prestigious roles. Nevertheless, women did display importance in transferring knowledge through generations.

Some medieval medical manuscripts include images of the Trotula of Salerno. Trotula of Salerno was a female physician engaged at the School of Salerno in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. What is fascinating about the Trotula of Salerno is that writings concerning female health have been ascribed to her, including as cited the ‘Disease Woman’ which concentrates on the problems and complications with the menstrual cycle and childbirth. These works attributed to the Trotula are en masse known at ‘The Trotula’ such writings and images serve as the principle medical manuscripts on women’s health in the middle ages. Trotula of Salerno postulated that women should not suffer unrelenting pain during childbirth, discordant with the putative attitudes of the Church.  Interestingly, the Trotula also trained other women at the School of Salerno. However, in Europe, women were prohibited from studying at university in the middle ages. It is important, nonetheless to consider the Trotula as a source of historiography; historians debate whether she did exist or whether she was a female. Posted by Heather Crosby

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Urine Chart Wellcome Library, London MS 49, Apocalypse  Circa 1420-3

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The Urine Table: The Practice of Uromancy

Medieval medical manuscripts often include images of the ‘Urine Table’, alternatively referred to as the 'Urine Wheel'. The image illustrates the practice of uromancy or urinomancy. Uromancy is the practice of examining a patient’s urine to determine his or her health. Urine examination is used as a preliminary diagnosis by medical practitioners, which dates back to the time of the physician, Hippocrates. In the middle ages, medicine was not a scientific pursuit, and the examination of urine was no exception. The image of the urine wheel in medieval medical manuscripts clearly illustrates and links each uroscopy flask to a different disease of the human body. Medical practitioners would examine the colour, smell and taste of the urine, alongside the image of the urine wheel to determine a patient’s illness. For instance, if the patient’s urine was red and, or foamy the patient was believed to be suffering from kidney disease. This medical procedure is emphasised in byzantine medicine.

The practice of uromancy is a form of divination. Urine was examined to determine the future of the patients; this was not uncommon as people relied heavily superstition, astrology and religion instead of empirical evidence to explain their observations on the human body. The medical image of the urine table had significant importance in the Middle Ages, as the practice of uromancy became the most reliable and convenient way to determine a patient’s health.   Posted by Michelle Kung

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Image of a bloodletting man surrounded my zodiac signs, showing the influence of zodiac and planets. Religion shunned magic or folk remedies and instead opted for more religious or scientific methods. This influenced ideas of astrology and the zodiac.

Wellcome Library, London MS 49, Apocalypse  C. 1420-1439, Folio 41

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Religion in Medieval Medical Images: illness of the body reflected that of the soul

During the Medieval Period there was a growth of Christianity and in turn Christian ideals which influenced all manner of life especially that of Medicine. Due to Christian ideology it was strongly believed that illness of the body reflected that of the soul. This lead to people praying for an ill persons soul hoping it in turn would take away the physical pain. Certain Saints came to symbolize protection or salvation for certain diseases. An example of this is St. Lucy who's eyes were taken out, she became the patron Saint for ailments concerning the eyes. Religion shunned the common practice of magic or folk remedies during this period and instead opted for more religious or certain scientific courses instead. Man was seen as the 'minor mundus' or lesser world hence creating a link between the heavenly order and the earthly one. This influenced ideas of astrology and the zodiac, making them important to the medical practice. John of Salisbury said "Just as the soul has rulership of the body so those who are called prefects of religion direct the whole body". This demonstrates the power religion and those of the religious position held over people as they helped to direct the soul and in turn the body.

 In conclusion religion became an important part of Medieval Medicine influencing ideas and notions of the world as related to man and God. It tried to lessen the influence of magic and folk remedies favouring a more scientific approach as long as it related to God. 

Posted by Adeeba Khan

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After visiting the exhibitions at the Science museum on Monday, we discussed as a group the different medieval medical images that are of most interest to our research project and we decided on who we want to interview for one our optional components.

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The Science Museum Exhibitions: Medicine and Health

As a group we all decided to visit the Science Museum on Monday. Having previously researched the museum we found that they had displays and information on Medicine and Health. They were also holding two exhibitions 'Glimpses of Medical History' and 'The Science and Art of Medicine' both of which were relevant to our topic. Furthermore the Science Museum had worked in partnership with the Wellcome Library thereby further arousing our interest in it. 

Once we had found the exhibition we were enthralled to discover the different medical ideas and theories that spanned across not only the area we were studying but throughout the centuries. It gave us a greater insight into how the Medieval World had developed or expanded on theories and remedies from different periods and cultures allowing us to put our study in an even greater context. Upon reaching the section on the Medieval Age we discovered various types of medicine ranging from physicians using herbs, to alchemy, astrology, blood-letting and magic, all this allowed us to build on and add to the knowledge we gained from the manuscripts and the work we read around it. Overall the visit was interesting and fascinating giving us a deeper, more rounded understanding of our period and topic.

Posted by Adeeba Khan

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Wellcome Library, London  Wound-man with injuries, legend in German. 

MS 49, Apocalypse, folio 35

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The Image of the Wound Man: How to cure injuries?

The ‘Wound man’ is a medieval medical image which illustrates the various injuries a person might receive in battle from weapons or through accidents. The wound man was one of the schematics used in European medieval surgical texts. Details of wound’s such as brain wounds, bloody eyes and great pain and cramps in the stomach are illustrated through the image. A typical example appeared in the book Fasciculus Medicinae of Johannes de Ketham Alemanus in the fifteenth century alongside other anatomical figures such as the ‘vein man’ and ‘bone man’.

The figure of the wound man is often accompanied by texts which explain how a medical practitioner can cure each of the various injuries. The wound man found in the Wellcome MS 49 which is translated into English and cited in B.H Hill Jr ‘A Medieval German Wound Man: Wellcome MS 49’ for instance explains how to treat a damaged stomach or large intestine. The large intestine or stomach should be sewn up with a fine silk thread, and be sprinkled with red powder; one heals such a wound with tormentil.

A further example in the manuscript is the treatment for running and painful wounds. Take an oil fish and boil it, take the fat from it and keep it in a clean container. Boil a hen and do not add any fat to it. Separate the fat from the hen, collect it, and add it to juice of sage, rue, wormwood, horehound, and wild mint. Put that all together and smear the scars with it.

It is clear is that the medical practitioner would consider treatment according to various factors, including age, strength, constitution, and form, according to the customary habits, the state of the disease, mixture of humours, the season, and the air. Astrology would also influence the treatment of wounds; the position of the moon would determine when a procedure can be conducted. 

Posted by Heather Crosby

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Skeleton and Nerve Man Wellcome Library, London

MS 49 Apocalypse, c.1420, folio 37 recto

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The Wellcome Library: Visiting the Medieval Medical Manuscripts

We received a fantastic opportunity to visit the Wellcome Library on Friday. This visit saw us taking our first look at the Medieval medical manuscripts. These are the manuscripts that we will be using as the basis of our research project, including images such as the Zodiac man, Vein man and Disease woman. We had the pleasure of viewing a number of different medieval manuscripts, most significantly we had the opportunity to view the Wellcome MS. 49, with the guidance of one of our lecturers at UCL and historian, Dr Sophie Page. This was a great opportunity to put our historical skills into practice, learning how to analyse and interpret the medical manuscripts and formulating questions about what the images reveal to us.

At first glance many of the illustrations seemed bizarre, particularly due to the strong emphasis on astrology, images deeming when treatments could take place and where on the body they could be carried out. We found a number of images immediately striking, particularly those depicting the skeletal and muscular structure of the human body. The accuracy and incredible detail of these images suggest that medical knowledge was more advanced than other images suggest; as by the 15th century human dissections took place in universities in order to learn more about anatomy and the structure of the body. 

It was surprising to discover through the medical manuscripts that C-sections were performed during the Middle ages, albeit the mother would die. Another interesting discovery relating to this was the importance of female practitioners in child birth in the Middle ages.Overall, the experience was very enlightening, enhancing significantly our research.  We will be returning again to the Wellcome Library in the coming weeks to view the key medical manuscripts and further develop our ideas and research.

Posted by Olly Foster

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15th Century Zodiac man manuscript Source: Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale, fr. 19994, folio 24v

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The Project begins: The Human Body and Medieval Medicine

Our group project begins here, the research question we are going to explore is 'What do medieval medical images tell us about medieval attitudes to the body and which medical interventions were thought to be possible and appropriate?'. We have three aims in this project; firstly, our project aims to explore what medical images reveal about the culture of Medieval Europe; secondly, to develop an understanding of what constitutes a 'scientific illustration,' and lastly to learn how medieval manuscripts work as historical sources. The project will focus on medieval manuscripts at the Wellcome Library, which you can find more information about on their website. 

In analysing the medieval medical images we will be questioning how such images illustrate the attitudes towards, for instance diseases, women and the anatomy of the body.Our group project will focus on the medical, anatomical and religious images predominately, which are found in manuscripts such as MS 49 at the Wellcome Library. Images which will be of most influence to our project are images such as the Zodiac Man, the Vein Man, Disease Woman and the Wound Man.  Our group project will also address which medical interventions were thought possible and appropriate during this period. Therefore, we will analyse images of surgical procedures such as C-Sections and bloodletting, a treatment designed to re-balance bodily humours,and regulated by the position of the moon. In the coming weeks our research will shed light on such medieval attitudes to medicine and the body.

Posted by Heather Crosby