Holy medicine: Patron saints of wounds due to animal bites.

Autor: Polak A; Department of Humanities and Social Medicine, Medical University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland., Chomentowska E; Institute for the Historical Geography of the Church in Poland, John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin, Lublin, Poland., Grzybowski A; Department of Ophthalmology, University of Warmia and Mazury, Zolnierska 18, 10-561 Olsztyn, Poland; Institute for Research in Ophthalmology, ul. Mickiewicza 24 / 3B, 60-836 Poznań, Poznan, Poland. Electronic address: ae.grzybowski@gmail.com.
Jazyk: angličtina
Zdroj: Clinics in dermatology [Clin Dermatol] 2023 Nov-Dec; Vol. 41 (6), pp. 782-788. Date of Electronic Publication: 2023 Sep 29.
DOI: 10.1016/j.clindermatol.2023.09.018
Abstrakt: The cult (system of religious beliefs and rituals) of saints in Western Europe appeared in the 3rd century CE and gained momentum from the 4th to the 6th centuries. Its importance for European society in late antiquity and the early Middle Ages was undeniable; holy medicine was the only hope for sick people because the number of physicians was insufficient, and usually physicians were helpless in the face of most of the ailments that plagued society at that time. The number of saints had increased over the years, and people sought medical help from them through prayer and other religious practices. Some saints "specialized" in the treatment of various wounds, including skin diseases. Our research revealed many saints who were patrons of wounds and skin. They can be collected in three groups: patron saints against snakebites and dog bites; patron saints of the treatment of wounds, ulcers, burns, and frostbite; and patron saints against spreadable diseases such as ergotism, leprosy, and scabies. The large number of saints who were patrons against snakebites and dog bites shows the relevance and importance of the problem. In our research, we tried to find out whether the cult of saints led to the development of hospitals for the treatment of skin diseases like ergotism in the hospital of Brother St. Anthony or only in miracles of healing emphasizing the power of faith in the cure of diseases.
Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.
(Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
Databáze: MEDLINE
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