Customer Reviews

Anglo-Saxon Medicine (Cambridge Studies in Anglo-Saxon England)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This book has been very difficult to find. As someone who uses Cameron's work as a major source of their research, having this book is essential. I am so happy to not have to run off to the Univesity library to order it anymore!

Cameron is one of the first authors to consider Anglo-Saxon medicine as a legitimate and worthwhile study for those interested in the history of medicine. The reservation of other authors to write more extensively on the subject is related to the unusual components within Anglo-Saxon remedies: namely what we would identify today as magic. Some authors that have written on the subject, such as Marilyn Deegan, tend to focus on the archaeological side of Anglo-Saxon medicine. Others use them as a source of evidence for magic and religion. For example, Karen Louise Jolly used Anglo-Saxon remedies as a way to approach religion in late Anglo-Saxon England. Cameron, however, reconciles the magic in Anglo-Saxon medicine by devoting one specific chapter to the subject. The rest of the book is dedicated to the exploration of herbal remedies for various ailments.

This is a fanstastic read for those interested in medieval medicine or Anglo-Saxon studies. Cameron does a decent job of staying on point, and the chapter organization makes research projects on the subject easy.