The Medieval Doctor vs. The Cunning Woman
Physic and Charm: The Medieval Doctor and the Cunning Woman Healing, Magic, and Medicine in the Medieval World In the medieval world, illness was rarely seen as a simple failure of the body. Disease could arise from imbalanced humors, bad air, divine punishment, ill‑fortune, or the unseen malice of spirits and witches. When sickness came, a household might summon two very different healers: the learned physician—or the village cunning woman. Both sought to restore health. Yet their methods, beliefs, and social standing could not have been more different. ✶ ✶ ✶ The Learned Physician Medieval physicians belonged to a tradition rooted in the ancient authorities Hippocrates, Galen, and later the Persian scholar Avicenna. Their works formed the foundation of university medical training. Marginal Note: Medieval physicians studied Latin texts and often trained at universities such as Paris or Bologna. Their medicine revolved around the four humors: blood, phlegm, yel...
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