Fruits and vegetables, exercise, recurrent bloodletting and more tips for staying robust from medieval travelers

Travelers have always faced health risks when away from home. Medieval people were no exception. Pilgrims, crusaders and others they were warned by preachers such as the 13th-century Jacques de Vitry about “dangers on land, dangers on the sea, dangers from thieves, dangers from predators, dangers from battles.”

There were also health risks: disease, lack of good nutrition and water, injuries, accidents and poisoning. Medieval travelers actively and innovatively tried to prevent illness while traveling.

Although the adjective “medieval” is still used disparagingly to imply backwardness in medical and scientific knowledge, the history of preventive medicine shows us otherwise.

From good sleep to “good” leeches

A particularly compelling set of practical health care instructions for travelers is Of the government and the journey and end of the pilgrims (About the traveler’s regime and method of travel). The text was composed by Adam of Cremona around 1227–1228 for the German Emperor Frederick II, who was about to go on crusade.

Unedited i survived in one manuscriptAdam draws heavily Ibn Sina An 11th century canon of medicine, used in teaching medicine at medieval universities.

Adam recommended phlebotomy (bloodletting) before the emperor’s journey, and then regularly throughout the journey, depending on the “will and mood” of the stars.

Bloodletting was a central element of medieval medical practice. He used leeches or edged knife-like instruments to cut the vein and cause blood to drain from the body. It was performed both preventively and, in the case of some medieval religious communities, periodically as part of monastic regulation and bodily discipline.

In devoting approximately 25 chapters of his text to bloodletting, Adam built on the idea that bloodletting regulates moods (the four fluids that make up the body: blood, yellow bile, black bile and phlegm), removing “bad” fluids and restoring balance to the body to prepare for a robust journey.

Although modern-day medicine has abandoned the concept of the four humors, bloodletting and “leech therapy” are still used in some countries. medical settings for specific purposes.

Adam advised that all travelers on the road should be mindful of bloodletting tools – especially leeches. His writings included warnings to distinguish leeches: good (round and shiny) and bad (black or blue in color, found near fetid water).

He also provided detailed instructions on water desalination, as well as advice on diet (as close as possible to the traveler’s home diet, with plenty of fruit and vegetables), the importance of rest and adequate sleep, and the need for regular bathing. .

Dysentery was a well-known travel hazard, especially for crusaders, and Adam’s guide reflected the desire of all travelers to avoid it by keeping their digestive systems in balance.

Balance of body and spirit

Knowledge about water supply was particularly crucial for travelers.

One pilgrimage guide well-informed travelers, one of the best water sources in the Holy Land was located near Haifa, in modern-day Israel.

Theodoric’s Guide to the Holy Land he reminded travelers that there is no water in Jerusalem other than rainwater collected by residents and stored in cisterns for daily employ.

Medieval travelers were also reminded of the need to take special care of their feet. In 1260 Vincent of Beauvais ordered travelers to employ poultices (wound dressings) made of oil, plants and mercury (mercury) to prevent and treat blisters – an all-too-common ailment suffered by pilgrims traveling long distances.

Adam of Cremona advised travelers to regulate their pace, especially on unfamiliar and bumpy roads.

The overall benefits of exercise were widely understood. Preachers like Jacques de Vitry told their congregations movement made the body healthy both physically and spiritually, so they should be undertaken regularly before and during the trip.

Different climates and environments meant encounters with perilous fauna. The Holy Land was said to be home to poisonous snakes.

Travelers took it with them teriakan antidote made partly from snake meat in case of being bitten. This can be swallowed or spread on the wound.

Crocodiles in Egypt were often cited as a threat. There was no antidote to the attack, but warning travelers with knowledge helped them remain vigilant.

Medieval travelers did not leave their fate entirely in God’s hands. Even the crusaders took precautions to maintain a balance between physical and spiritual health before and during the journey.

They confessed sins, sought blessings to protect their property and luggage, and carried with them amulets and amulets that were supposed to ensure “health of body and protection of soul,” as one Italian blessing from the 12th century explained. This “divine prevention” went hand in hand with more practical care for the physical body – a holistic view of health in the physical and spiritual dimensions.

The activities and remedies available to medieval pilgrims and other travelers may seem narrow and perhaps perilous to modern-day readers. But like all travelers, medieval people used the knowledge they had and tried to maintain good health in sometimes hard conditions.

The desire for health is a very human thing, and its long medieval history reminds us that good health has always been achieved through prevention as much as cure.