Category Archives: historical medicine

Health Insurance, Medieval Style

Posted on January 28, 2017 by E. C. Ambrose

Many people in the US right now are concerned about their health insurance (among other things).  Will it change all over again? Probably–won’t it be fun to find out.  We tend to think of insurance as a recent innovation, a … Continue reading →

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The Royal Touch: Laying on of Hands

Posted on February 12, 2016 by E. C. Ambrose

One of the fun things I got to play with during my protagonist, Elisha’s unexpected rise to the throne of England in book three was the idea of the king as a healer, specifically, as possessing the royal touch, wherein … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Elisha Rex, England, historical medicine, religion, research, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Book Launch day, Elisha Rex!

Posted on July 7, 2015 by E. C. Ambrose

Today is the big day, the launch of book 3 in my Dark Apostle series of fantasy novels about medieval surgery.  Please help me celebrate and spread the word! Once again, artist Cliff Nielsen has captured the spirit of the … Continue reading →

Posted in book promotion, books, Elisha Rex, fantasy, fiction, historical medicine, history, medieval, publishing, The Dark Apostle, witchcraft | Tagged , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Cover Reveal: Elisha Rex!

Posted on April 15, 2015 by E. C. Ambrose

And title reveal, too, I guess!  You can probably see why I’ve been keeping this title pretty close, but since it’s time to show off the cover, here goes! Once again, artist Cliff Nielsen has captured the spirit of the … Continue reading →

Posted in books, Elisha Rex, fantasy, fiction, historical medicine, history, medieval, The Dark Apostle | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Defense Against the Dark Arts: Warding off Witchcraft

Posted on February 18, 2015 by E. C. Ambrose

This month’s Archaeology magazine has some photos from Knole House in Kent showing a series of hatch marks carved into the floor beneath where the protestant King James I would have slept in the early 1600’s.  The marks are intended … Continue reading →

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When Astrology and Astronomy were One

Posted on November 19, 2014 by E. C. Ambrose

One of the areas I did not delve deeply into for the Dark Apostle books was that of astrology. Certainly much of the educated medicine of the 14th century (and for a long time before and after) began with knowing … Continue reading →

Posted in Elisha Barber, historical medicine, history, medieval, research, The Dark Apostle | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

The Black Death/ Ebola Smackdown

Posted on October 22, 2014 by E. C. Ambrose

Right now, the news is full of Ebola.  Everyone–especially politicians–is in a tizzy about this dread disease, which is infecting and killing thousands in a certain area of Africa.  Should we ban air travel to West Africa?  Has the CDC … Continue reading →

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A Little Movie on the Virtues of Medieval Medicine (celebrating Elisha Barber in paperback, with a trailer!)

Posted on June 15, 2014 by E. C. Ambrose

This week, Elisha Barber is available in paperback wherever books are sold–so if you’ve been waiting for the pocket-size version, now’s the time. It also includes a sample from the second book, Elisha Magus (you can read sample chapters from … Continue reading →

Posted in book promotion, books, Elisha Barber, Elisha Magus, fantasy, fiction, historical medicine, medieval, movies, The Dark Apostle | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Religious Influence on Medical Care, A Historical Perspective

Posted on December 23, 2013 by E. C. Ambrose

A couple of recent court cases and the advent of recent changes to health insurance law have brought the issue of who controls the patient’s access to health care into the public mind, particularly in relation to religious freedom. Should … Continue reading →

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Like you Need a Hole in the Head! a Defense of Trepanation

Posted on November 20, 2013 by E. C. Ambrose

I recently wrote an article for Renaissance Magazine about the Brighter Side of Medieval Surgery, because, yes, there is one. If you’re not a subscriber, you can find the ‘zine at many bookstores, or on their website at http://www.renaissancemagazine.com/ But … Continue reading →

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