Medical profession in urban centers of England during the ХІ–ХІІІ centuries

  • Oleksandr S. Okhrimenko National Center «Minor Academy of Sciences of Ukraine», 38/42 Dehtyarivska Street, Kyiv 04112, Ukrainian

Abstract

The article deals with the position of the physicians in English urban centers of the ХІ–ХІІІ centuries. On the base of documents, narrative and visual sources it investigates the social status, levels of profits, key features of the representation of the English doctors during the High Middle Ages. The article shows, that there were various titles for medieval medics in English towns (medicus, phisicus, chirurgus, phleobotomator, apotecarius, leech, mires, ffecissian, barber, magister, «wise woman»). Faculty of medicine was not opened in England at that time. Medicine was a family business in English urban centers during the ХІ–ХІІІ centuries. The investigation demonstrates that in the High Middle Ages there was a rise of role of doctors that practiced in towns and decline of doctors of religious centers. Based on the sources, author proves that there was no clear position of the urban residents on medics. On the one hand town doctors made a distrust of using the bloodletting. One the other hand the urban documents of the ХІ–ХІІІ centuries involved many such evidences of the treatment cases of town’s residents. According to the miniatures there were certain features of the doctors’ costume and special «doctor’s gesture». During the High Middle Ages in English urban centers, the professional treatment became a part of doctor profit, but very often, it was done with the violation of law. The author draws the parallel between growing of the importance of the doctors in English urban centers during the ХІ–ХІІІ centuries and increase of the public health.

Author Biography

Oleksandr S. Okhrimenko, National Center «Minor Academy of Sciences of Ukraine», 38/42 Dehtyarivska Street, Kyiv 04112, Ukrainian

PhD (history); methodist of the 2nd category at the department of scientific and analytic work

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Published
2017-03-30
Keywords: social history of medicine, medieval medicine, social status of medic, English town, the High Middle Ages
How to Cite
Okhrimenko O. S. Medical profession in urban centers of England during the ХІ–ХІІІ centuries // Journal of the Belarusian State University. History. 2017. 1. PP. 53-60.