-- What advice does this fifteenth-century author provide for preventing infection by the plague?
-- In what ways do these prescriptions rely on the medical theory of Hippocrates and Ibn Ridwan?
-- What role does religion play in the prevention of disease?
"Within the house all the
day, and if it that be need a man to go out, yet let him abide
in his house til the Sun be up in the East passing southward.
Hereafter follows the Remedies for the Pestilence.
"Now it is to know by what remedies a man may preserve himself
from pestilence. First see the writing of Jeremiah the Prophet
that a man ought to forsake evil things and do good deeds and
meekly to confess his sins. For why it is the best remedy in time
of pestilence -- penance and confession to be preferred [to] all
other medicines. Nevertheless I permit you verily it is a good
remedy to void and change the infected place. But some may not
profitably change their places -- therefore as much as to them
is possible it is to eschew every cause of putrifaction and stinking
and namely every fleshly lust with women is to be eschewed. Also
the southern wind which wind is naturally infected. Therefore
spare [do not open] the windows against [facing] the south in
likewise as it is said before til the first hour after the middle
of the day, then open the windows against the north. Of the same
cause every foul stink is to be eschewed, of stable, stinking
felds ways of streets, and namely of stinking dead carrion and
most of stinking waters where in many places water is kept 2 days
or 2 nights. Or else there be gutters of water cast under the
earth which caused great stink and corruption. And of this cause
some die in that house where such things happen, and in another
house die none as it is said before likewise in that place where
the worts and moles putrified it makes annoying savor and stinking.
For in likewise as by the sweet odor of balm the hurt and spirits
have recreation, so of evil savors they be made feeble. Wherefore
keep your house that an infected air enter not in. For an infected
air most causes putrifaction in places and houses where folk sleep.
Therefore let your house be clean and make clear fire of wood
flaming. Let your house be made with fumigation of herbs, that
is to say, with leaves of bay tree, Juniper, Oregano it is in
the apothecary shops, wormwood, Rew, nugwort and of the tree of
Olives with is best but it is dear [expensive]. Such a fume taken
by the mouth and ears opens inward the inward parts of the body.
Also it is to show. Also avoid all great meals, because full bodies
be easily infected. As Avicenna says in the fourth Canon, they
that charge their bodies with meals shorten their life. Also common
baths are to be eschewed. For a little crust corrupts all the
body. Therefore the people as much as is possible is to be eschewed,
lest of infected breaths some man be infected. . . ."
Source: The Black Death, compiled and
edited by E.R. Chamberlin (London: Jackdaw Publications, 1968),
exhibit 6. The text has been transcribed from the original, and
the spelling has been modernized.