Medieval Medicine

In the Middle Ages, medical practitioners were as varied as were the illnesses. Among those who practiced medicine were monks, folk-healers, and university trained physicians. The first medical university was in 10th century Italy, where students explored Greek manuscripts looking for ways to cure disease. The predominant theory was that the body had four distinct humors, and an imbalance in one of these humors was the cause of any illness. Depending on which humor was to blame, they prescribed accordingly. Sometimes, the color of an herb would target the plant for use. For instance, a yellow flower, like dandelion or fennel, would be recommended for treatment of a liver dysfunction, because of the liver’s yellow bile. Thus, dandelion was considered a remedy for jaundice.
Trained physicians, of course, served royalty and only the very wealthy, as a rule. Commoners were treated either by monks or by folk-healers. Later, as healers were sometimes associated with the occult, and some even considered to be in league with the devil himself, commoners relied on local healers and midwives. I have an interesting book on my shelves: Medicine Women, a Pictorial History of Women Healers, by Elisabeth Brooke, if you’re interested in pursuing the subject further.