Healing words

Healing words

The unofficial story of medical practice in England 1500–1800

Recipe books were highly collaborative, incredibly detailed, and painstakingly handwritten household manuals. Produced mainly within rural communities, they contained recipes for preparing and preserving food, household products, and medical remedies.

These books have become a testament to women’s experiences across all levels of society, showing their skills at household management. They also demonstrate a wide context of legitimate but unofficial medical information sharing. 

The books show us how medicine was understood and practiced at community level. They are glimpses into a world in which communities were self-sufficient, and people were intimately connected to one another, the land, the seasons and the cosmos. These books contributed to the very survival of families and communities.

This exhibition is the culmination of a long term project to provide online access to these unique manuscripts and highlight their part in the story of the development of modern medicine. 

Please be aware, this exhibition contains descriptions of cruelty to animals, and medical procedures on children.