Physick and the Family : Health, Medicine and Care in Wales, 1600–1750

Physick and the family offers new insights into the early modern sickness experience, through a study of the medical history of Wales. Newly available in paperback, this first ever monograph of early modern Welsh medicine utilises a large body of newly discovered source material. Using numerous approaches and methodologies, it makes a significant contribution to debates in medical history, including economies of knowledge, domestic medicine and care, material culture and the rural medical marketplace. Drawing on sources from probates to parish records, diaries to domestic remedy collections, Withey offers new directions for recovering the often obscure medical worldview of the ‘ordinary'person. This innovative study will appeal to anyone interested in the social history of the early modern period. Its multi-disciplinary approach will appeal to a broad spectrum of academics and scholars, and will enhance a range of courses and modules both in medical history and in social history more widely. 'Physick and the family offers new insights into the early modern sickness experience, through a study of the medical history of Wales. This first ever monograph of early modern Welsh medicine utilises a large body of newly discovered source material, numerous approaches and methodologies and makes a significant contribution to debates in medical history; including economies of knowledge, domestic medicine and care, material culture and the rural medical marketplace. Drawing on sources from probates to parish records, diaries to domestic remedy collections, Withey offers new directions for recovering the often obscure medical worldview of the and#x2018;ordinary' person.This innovative study will appeal to anyone interested in the social history of the early modern period. Its multi-disciplinary approach will appeal to a broad spectrum of academics and scholars, and will enhance a range of courses and modules both in medical history and in social history more widely' --Back cover Front matter Dedication Contents Preface Acknowledgements List of figures Introduction Part I Disease and mortality in early modern Wales Disease and Welsh society Part II Medical knowledge in early modern Wales The Welsh body and popular medical culture The spread of medical information: medicine, and oral and print culture An economy of knowledge: social networks and the spread of medical information Part III Domestic sickness and care in the Welsh home Care and the Welsh medical home Sickness experience and the ‘sick role’ Caring for the sick ‘Neighbourliness’ and the medical community Conclusion Appendix A: Selection of Welsh disease terms with English translations Appendix B: Poor relief in Llanfyllin, showing payments made to parishioners in 1673 and 1674, and stated reasons for relief Select bibliography Index