I just finished reading “The Time Traveler’s Guide to Medieval England” by Ian Mortimer. Boy, am I glad that I live here and now! In medieval England life was violent, sexist, boxed in a rigid and unfair class and legal system, traveling was a life threatening adventure, and sickness was deadly.
Only the lords and ladies could afford hygiene, i.e. baths on a regular basis. Although public bath houses existed, their services were more for pleasure than cleanliness and extended to more intimate encounters than water and body and therefore their contribution to health and hygiene were dubious. Continue reading “Medicine then, now, and in the future”