Holistic Herbalism?

[bunnyjadwiga]

People often backwards-generalize the division between a symptomatic or disease-focused 'scientific' medicine and an alternative 'holistic' or 'whole person medicine' seen in today's culture to the middle ages. To be completely blunt, this is bunk

Comments

[madrun]

I am often told that we can have no idea how medieval women, or in fact any peasant empirics, used herbs, since they practiced only in secret, and never wrote anything down. (Thus, of course, the Lore mentioned by Diana Wynne Jones.) This is convenient, as one can thus make any claim one desires and it cannot be refuted by the documentary evidence.

*stands up and cheers!!!*

Have you read Healing Threads by Mary Beith? It's on Scottish herbalism but also covers symbolic medicine. It's really fascinating.