Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Treatment of Headaches in Early Modern Cretan Healing Manuals
The treatment of headaches and migraines have been a major concern in Greece since Hippocrates. Ancient and Hellenistic Greek physicians gave many discussions of the symptoms of cephalalgia and their treatment, while Byzantine medical writers added to those descriptions and offered new therapeutic m...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Athens Institute for Education and Research
2019-03-01
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| Series: | Athens Journal of Health and Medical Sciences |
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| Online Access: | https://www.athensjournals.gr/health/2019-6-1-4-Oberhelman.pdf |
| _version_ | 1797956949582544896 |
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| author | Steven M. Oberhelman |
| author_facet | Steven M. Oberhelman |
| author_sort | Steven M. Oberhelman |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | The treatment of headaches and migraines have been a major concern in Greece since Hippocrates. Ancient and Hellenistic Greek physicians gave many discussions of the symptoms of cephalalgia and their treatment, while Byzantine medical writers added to those descriptions and offered new therapeutic methods. On the island of Crete, during the Venetian occupation (1205–1669), medical students, after their studies at the great European universities, brought back classical and Byzantine knowledge of healing diseases, including headaches. But after the Ottoman Turks seized the island, practical doctors handled medical prophylaxis. These folk healers preserved their knowledge in treatises called iatrosophia for use by their neighbors and friends. In this paper, I analyze passages from two Cretan iatrosophia for their description and treatment of headaches and migraines. Some recipes are drawn from classical and Byzantine formal medical texts, but others are traditional medical cures preserved over the centuries by villagers and practical doctors and consist of natural pharmacological ingredients (plants, herbs, animal substances, minerals). But because these treatments were sometimes ineffective, the iatrosophia also offer headache remedies containing magical spells, phylacteries, exorcisms, and prayers. Such multiple approaches to healing (natural, supernatural, supranatural) reflected a cultural mindset that welcomed any and all forms of healing. |
| first_indexed | 2024-04-10T23:56:39Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-58f910c940da4e68987173a07b873519 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2653-9411 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-04-10T23:56:39Z |
| publishDate | 2019-03-01 |
| publisher | Athens Institute for Education and Research |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Athens Journal of Health and Medical Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-58f910c940da4e68987173a07b8735192023-01-10T11:08:41ZengAthens Institute for Education and ResearchAthens Journal of Health and Medical Sciences2653-94112019-03-01615310.30958/ajhms.6-1-4Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Treatment of Headaches in Early Modern Cretan Healing Manuals Steven M. Oberhelman0Professor of Classics, Holder of the George Sumey Jr Endowed Professorship of Liberal Arts, and Associate Dean, Texas A&M UniversityThe treatment of headaches and migraines have been a major concern in Greece since Hippocrates. Ancient and Hellenistic Greek physicians gave many discussions of the symptoms of cephalalgia and their treatment, while Byzantine medical writers added to those descriptions and offered new therapeutic methods. On the island of Crete, during the Venetian occupation (1205–1669), medical students, after their studies at the great European universities, brought back classical and Byzantine knowledge of healing diseases, including headaches. But after the Ottoman Turks seized the island, practical doctors handled medical prophylaxis. These folk healers preserved their knowledge in treatises called iatrosophia for use by their neighbors and friends. In this paper, I analyze passages from two Cretan iatrosophia for their description and treatment of headaches and migraines. Some recipes are drawn from classical and Byzantine formal medical texts, but others are traditional medical cures preserved over the centuries by villagers and practical doctors and consist of natural pharmacological ingredients (plants, herbs, animal substances, minerals). But because these treatments were sometimes ineffective, the iatrosophia also offer headache remedies containing magical spells, phylacteries, exorcisms, and prayers. Such multiple approaches to healing (natural, supernatural, supranatural) reflected a cultural mindset that welcomed any and all forms of healing.https://www.athensjournals.gr/health/2019-6-1-4-Oberhelman.pdfhistory of medicinemagicpharmacologytraditional medicine |
| spellingShingle | Steven M. Oberhelman Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Treatment of Headaches in Early Modern Cretan Healing Manuals Athens Journal of Health and Medical Sciences history of medicine magic pharmacology traditional medicine |
| title | Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Treatment of Headaches in Early Modern Cretan Healing Manuals |
| title_full | Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Treatment of Headaches in Early Modern Cretan Healing Manuals |
| title_fullStr | Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Treatment of Headaches in Early Modern Cretan Healing Manuals |
| title_full_unstemmed | Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Treatment of Headaches in Early Modern Cretan Healing Manuals |
| title_short | Pharmacological and Non-Pharmacological Treatment of Headaches in Early Modern Cretan Healing Manuals |
| title_sort | pharmacological and non pharmacological treatment of headaches in early modern cretan healing manuals |
| topic | history of medicine magic pharmacology traditional medicine |
| url | https://www.athensjournals.gr/health/2019-6-1-4-Oberhelman.pdf |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT stevenmoberhelman pharmacologicalandnonpharmacologicaltreatmentofheadachesinearlymoderncretanhealingmanuals |