IMC 2019: Sessions
Session 220: The Material and the Sensory in Medieval Medicine
Monday 1 July 2019, 14.15-15.45
| Organiser: | Belle Tuten, Department of History, Juniata College, Pennsylvania |
|---|---|
| Moderator/Chair: | Joanna Phillips, School of Law, University of Leeds |
| Paper 220-a | 'Anon yt schall wex thyke as pap': Insights to Be Gained by Attempting to Reproduce Medieval Medical Remedies (Language: English) Index terms: Daily Life, Medicine |
| Paper 220-b | 'As hot as he can bear it': Exploring the Sensory and Material Properties of the Recipes of King Duarte of Portugal, 1433-1438 (Language: English) Index terms: Daily Life, Medicine |
| Paper 220-c | Materiality and Medicine in a 15th-Century Italian Kitchen (Language: English) Index terms: Daily Life, Medicine |
| Abstract | Medieval healing practices were sensory activities based on engagement with physical substances. Not only did practitioners rely on their senses, smelling, touching, and even tasting the body of the patient, but the patient also experienced touch, taste, and smell in the course of treatment. Writers used evocative descriptors like 'greasy' and 'sandy' to describe body products like urine and gave directions to produce remedies and process materia medica that emphasized their material qualities. Where these medical substances came from, and how they were prepared is a neglected area of research. This session features papers that explore the materiality of healing in medieval Europe. |