New Books Network Katherine Harvey, "The Medieval Guide to Healthy Living" (Reaktion, 2026)
Apr 1, 2026
Katherine Harvey, medieval historian and author of The Medieval Guide to Healthy Living, explores how people in the Middle Ages practiced preventative care. She discusses medieval regimens on air, diet, exercise, emotions, aging, and care for women and children. The conversation also covers how medical knowledge spread and which old practices to avoid.
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Prevention Centered On Six Non Naturals
- Medieval medicine emphasized prevention through six 'non-naturals' like air, diet, movement, sleep, excretion, and emotions.
- Physicians and lay practitioners both advised managing these factors to avoid illness, especially during crises like the Black Death.
Bailiff John Crophill's Medical Notebook
- John Crophill, a 15th-century Essex bailiff, kept a medical commonplace book recording urine diagnoses for ordinary people.
- His records show rural practitioners used university-derived ideas like humoral theory and uroscopy in everyday practice.
Church Spread Medical Knowledge
- The medieval Church helped spread medical knowledge because priests needed medical understanding for confession and appropriate penances.
- Sermons used medical analogies and clergy were taught basics to tailor spiritual and physical care.
