By On 1 June 1682, a woman called Jane Kent found herself in the dock of the Old Bailey in London accused of witchcraft. The charge was a serious one, for amongst other things, she was accused of causing the death of a five-year-old girl by diabolic means. The charges stemmed
Purulent Matter: Opening an Abscess
A guest post by Olivia Smith Anthony Ashley Cooper’s case notes tell how, on the afternoon of 12 June 1668, his abscess was ‘opened’, following which a ‘large quantity of prurulent [sic] matter, many bags & skins came away’.[1] The process of opening (v.) is both recorded and performed by
Tudors, Tonics, and Sickly Stuarts: Talks and Signings
Since Maladies and Medicine: Exploring Health and Healing, 1540-1740 came out last year, we have been doing lots of exciting events to share the ideas in the book with everyone. We have given a number of sold-out talks across the country from the Wellcome Trust in London to the 1620s
By A Diet for Old Age
Cake or Boiled Sparrow? by Amie Bolissian McRae Last week newspaper headlines urged the over-65s to ‘Eat butter and cakes to keep … healthy’.[i] The president of the British Association for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition, concerned about malnourishment in older people, advocated fat-rich foods such as cream, butter, and sweet
Sir John Floyer’s Pulse-watch
A longer version of this article first appeared in Staffordshire Life November 2017 – Sara Most of us are familiar with having our pulse taken routinely as part of any examination at the doctor’s. Medics use the second hand on their watches to time a minute and record the number of