The experience of sickness and health during crusader campaigns to the Eastern Mediterranean, 1095-1274
This thesis proposes the reading of medieval chronicles, specifically those of the crusades, for their medical content. The crusades left a mark on the historical record in the form of dozens of narrative sources, but texts such as these are rarely considered as sources for medical history. Chapter 1 suggests how chronicles can be used to discover how medical knowledge permeated the literate society of the Middle Ages, and at the same time, by reading the crusader chronicles in a medical mode, to learn more about the lived experience of crusaders and the narrative art of crusader chroniclers. Chapter 2 responds to Roy Porterâs highly-influential concept of âthe patientâs viewâ by engaging with critiques of this concept and developing a method to apply it to medieval sources, âthe chroniclerâs-eye viewâ, demonstrated through a linguistic survey of the identity of sick crusaders and crusaders who offered medical care. The next three chapters take the âchroniclersâ-eye viewâ of the experience of sick crusaders in three spatial and military contexts. Chapter 3 shows how the crusader march could engender poor health by exposing the travelling crusader to different environments, while Chapter
Phillips, Joanna Elizabeth
The experience of sickness and health during crusader campaigns to the Eastern Mediterranean, 1095-1274. This thesis proposes the reading of medieval chronicles, specifically those of the crusades, for their medical content. The crusades left a mark on the historical record in the form of dozens of narrative sources, but texts such as these are rarely considered as sources for medical history. Chapter 1 suggests how chronicles can be used to discover how medical knowledge permeated the literate society of the Middle Ages, and at the same time, by reading the crusader chronicles in a medical mode, to learn more about the lived experience of crusaders and the narrative art of crusader chroniclers. Chapter 2 responds to Roy Porterâs highly-influential concept of âthe patientâs viewâ by engaging with critiques of this concept and developing a method to apply it to medieval sources, âthe chroniclerâs-eye viewâ, demonstrated through a linguistic survey of the identity of sick crusaders and crusaders who offered medical care. The next three chapters take the âchroniclersâ-eye viewâ of the experience of sick crusaders in three spatial and military contexts. Chapter 3 shows how the crusader march could engender poor health by exposing the travelling crusader to different environments, while Chapter
experience sickness health crusader campaign eastern_mediterranean proposes read medieval chronicle specifically crusade medical content crusade leave mark historical_record form dozen narrative_source text rarely_consider source medical history suggests chronicle use discover medical_knowledge permeate literate society middle_ages time read crusader chronicle medical mode learn lived_experience crusader narrative art crusader chronicler responds highly influential concept patient view engage critique concept develop method_apply medieval source chronicler eye view demonstrate linguistic survey identity sick crusader crusader offer medical_care next_three take chronicler eye view experience sick crusader spatial military context show crusader march could engender poor health expose travel crusader different environment