By Before Christmas Paul Middleton looked at the role of unicorn horn in combatting the effects of poisons and venoms. Today’s post is on a similar theme and looks at one very particular type of venomous bite – the bite of a mad dog. Ambrose Paré explained dogs were particularly prone to
Giant’s Shoulders #67
Given the recent festive period we shall start with the Smithsonian Magazine’s post on a riot caused by egg-nog. Although not festive, food has also been the subject of Sarah Everts post on the Chemical Heritage Foundation website about the history of food canning and preservation. She looks at three
Pre-order Aphrodisiacs, Fertility and Medicine
It is now possible to pre-order my forthcoming book, Aphrodisiacs, Fertility and Medicine in Early Modern England, from both the Boydell & Brewer website and Amazon. Boydell & Brewer Royal Historical Society Studies in History New Series Amazon order page ‘It was common knowledge in early modern England that sexual
Rheumatism, Joint Pain and Lady Bristol’s Swollen Feet
Dr Sara Read Before the seventeenth century, rheumatism tended to refer to a flow of rheum or humours. These were the sorts of humours thought to be emitted from a cold, for example, but also the ones which flowed from the brain to cause toothache too. Even tears might be