By Reading Thomas Chamberlayne’s 1656 publication, The Compleat Midwifes Practice, that shared the knowledge and case notes of Louise Bourgeois, a French Royal midwife, there are numerous cases of women experiencing physical problems related to birth. One of these cases reveals that the problems women faced were not always the result of the birth process itself, but complications created by past physical trauma and in particular by domestic violence.
St. David’s Day Daffodils
1 March is St. David’s Day, Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Sant celebrating the patron saint of Wales, St. David, who was a bishop of Mynyw in the 6th century. As a part of this celebration social medial has been flooded with images of daffodils (Narcissus) the national flower of Wales. Daffodils
Gender Concealed: How to get a boy in the early modern era
Gender reveal parties, which started some time in the 2000s, have become increasingly elaborate and Instagram worthy. Some excessive stunts have even caused raging wildfires. When I was younger these parties weren’t around but I do remember old wives tales of practices that were supposed to reveal the gender of
Weight loss Wonders
Wirtzung’s wonders Christopher Wirtzung’s treatise The General Practice of Physicke (1605) wrote at length of the ‘troublesomnes of Fatnes’. He suggested that those wishing to diet should ‘take everie morning a crust [of bread] with vineger, wherein a little Pepper is tempered.’ If that was not agreeable he recommended a slightly more exotic sounding
It cost me a cold
Travelling and bathing In June 1645 John Evelyn travelled from Rome to Venice. The journey left him extremely weary and so he decided to visit the ‘Bagnias’ to take a bath. He described the experience as follows: [The bath] treat after the Eastern manner, washing one with hot & cold