‘Pottes of Tryacle’ and ‘Bokes of Phisyke’: The Fifteenth-century Disease Management Practices of Three Gentry Families

Abstract

Abstract This paper explores the gentry response to disease and illness in the fifteenth century. It examines the private letter collections of the Paston, the Stonor and the Plumpton families through a comparative methodology. The first section, focusing upon disease terminology in the letters, explores the diagnostic understanding of these families. Analysis of incidences of particular diseases, such as malaria and sciatica, is used to demonstrate their comprehension of illness through symptomatic observation. The second section examines the methods used for treating disease, analysing the various remedies used by the families. Important emphasis is placed upon the choice between using medical professionals and home healing. Finally, the role of female family members is assessed, determining whether it was medicinal matriarchs or male physicians who dominated in the sphere of family medicine. Ultimately this paper will uncover the complex and sophisticated ways gentry families managed and treated disease in this period.