US EditionOnline Catalog Nearly Doubles Dark Ages Medical Manuscripts and Reveals Sophisticated Remedies
WESTERN EUROPE, JUL 16 – Researchers cataloged hundreds of early medieval Latin medical manuscripts revealing a wide use of exotic ingredients and scientific approaches in remedies, challenging the notion of a medical Dark Age.
- Compiling hundreds of medieval manuscripts, researchers at SUNY Binghamton, Fordham, St. Andrews, Utrecht and Oslo built a catalog nearly doubling Dark Age medical texts, updating assumptions about early medieval medicine.
- Amid long-held biases, the study reveals practitioners of the early Middle Ages pursued scientific inquiry and pattern-based remedies, said Meg Leja, Binghamton University medieval historian.
- One book’s headache cure suggests mixing crushed peach pit with rose oil, and a 2017 study indicates rose oil may ease migraine pains.
- Moving forward, the team plans to keep adding material to the catalog to deepen understanding of medieval medicine, as researchers now believe Dark Age remedies weren’t as dubious as previously assumed.
- Broader parallels emerge as some modern remedies mirror medieval prescriptions, and a medieval doctor might equate social media’s amplification of bad science to demonology.
18 Articles
18 Articles
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Medieval Medicine Was Surprisingly Smart – And Trending Again
Medieval medicine is turning heads for all the right reasons. Far from being a primitive or superstitious practice, new research shows that early medieval Europeans engaged deeply with natural remedies, observation, and experimentation—some of which mirror today’s alternative health trends. A sweeping catalog of forgotten manuscripts reveals cures involving rose oil, detox regimens, and even [...]
Medieval remedies show surprising parallels to modern wellness trends
It turns out the Dark Ages weren't all that dark! According to new research, medieval medicine was way more sophisticated than previously thought, and some of its remedies are trending today on TikTok.
Eurek Alert
Binghamton University - Binghamton UniversityMedieval medicine was smarter than you think – and weirdly similar to TikTok trends
A new international research project featuring faculty at Binghamton University, State University of New York reveals that people in the Middle Ages weren’t cooped up in castles, wallowing in superstition. They were developing health practices based on the best knowledge they had at the time – some of which mirror modern wellness trends.
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