4. Menstruation
Can you believe that even something as simple and factual as a woman’s menstruation was a major medical concern back in the Middle Ages? This is especially true in the case of Renaissance, classical and medieval physicians and medical writers. Back then, several theories regarding menstruation existed. One of the most interesting theories was called the Theory of Humors. For this, it is said that the buildup of bodily wastes and a woman’s excess humors were the reasons behind her monthly menstruation.
Perhaps a theory which can be traced back in the Middle Ages that persists up to now is that if you do not have regular menstruation, illnesses will occur because of waste buildup in the body. Also, it is said that if an older woman is at her menopausal stage, the fact that she’s not able to eliminate her bodily wastes through menstruation makes her a threat for men and children who she will be in contact with.
5. Childbirth
Being a mother was a scary proposition back in the Middle Ages, because they were told to prepare for their death. According to Roman Catholic law, midwives who were licensed by a bishop are supposed to swear an oath that they would not use magic when assisting a woman who is in labor.
Some critical aspects of childbirth were if the position of the baby was abnormal, the midwife would shake the bed to reposition the fetus. If the fetus was dead inside the womb, it would be dismembered and removed with a squeezer. Finally, a placenta which was retained would be pulled out by force.
The Role of Women in Medicine during the Middle Ages
Basically, women were confined to home chores back in the Middle Ages. As such, included among their household duties was the medical-related task of offering help and administering treatment when an individual or family member has a health problem.
A woman who was considered to be the female lead in a household usually had to play doctor for her family members, her servants, dependents, neighbors, tenants, and almost everybody else who was of a lower status. Since women were not permitted to enroll in schools and universities, there were only a very small number of women physicians. The one other role that women in society played back in the Middle Ages was being an “empiric.” This refers to someone who is into healing without having undergone any special medical training. The skills that women empirics learned were all from practical training. Finally, midwives back in the Middle Ages were mostly of women. The same thing holds true for nurses who worked in charitable hospitals back in the Middle Ages.
As you can see, women played a quite varied role in the field of medicine during the Middle Ages, so you cannot discount the contribution that they played in caring for people’s health from back then up to now.
Originally published on Alternative Medicine Zone
