Tag Archives: historical medicine

Religious Influence on Medical Care, A Historical Perspective

Posted on December 23, 2013 by

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

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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Galen: the father of medieval medicine

Posted on June 13, 2013 by

I touched briefly on Galen in my article “Skinning your Own Apes,” because the title of that piece was inspired by an odd detail I noted in one of his works. But the man himself deserves greater length. The theories … Continue reading →

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The Hierarchy of Medieval Medical Practitioners

Posted on April 3, 2013 by

Elisha Barber, the first book in my Dark Apostle series, features a barber-surgeon protagonist. During the Late Middle Ages (about 1300 to 1450, depending on whom you ask) the barber occupied one of the lowest steps in the hierarchy of … Continue reading →

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