In the medieval world, the line between a miracle cure and a death sentence was razor-thin. We often dismiss the Middle Ages as a time of medical ignorance, but the foundations of modern healthcare were laid in the wards of medieval hospitals like The Commandery. In this documentary, join historian Matt Lewis as we step inside the world of the barber-surgeon and the physician to uncover the truth about the four humours. From the strange practice of tasting urine to diagnose diabetes, to the "life-saving" application of blood-sucking leeches and cauterising irons, we explore the brutal yet surprisingly logical reality of 14th-century medicine. We also investigate how the medieval world grappled with the terrifying arrival of Leprosy and the Black Death, revealing that many of our modern concepts of quarantine and hygiene are centuries older than we think.
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