Page 47 - All About History - Issue 186-19
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Medieval MD
DEPRESSION
Medieval Diagnosis: Melancholia
Recommended Treatment: Flower tea
In the medieval period there melancholia and mental illness,
were several different ways to and he recommended baths for
treat melancholia, which we patients as well as an early form
would identify as depression of behaviour therapy.
today. Peonies were believed to
have healing properties and were SECOND OPINION
frequently used for medicinal It is important to note that
purposes, which includes helping mental health and illness was
those dealing with melancholy. not understood properly during
A drink would be made from the medieval period and it was
peony roots and given to patients, often attributed to evil demons
however it probably wouldn’t have and witches. As a result, patients
helped them at all because we were also subjected to barbaric
now know that peony roots are treatments such as starvation,
actually poisonous! The physician drowning and beatings. They
Rhazes was forward-thinking when were also locked away in asylums
it came to his understanding of for the insane.
© Alamy
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