Elma Brenner answers listener questions on the strange world of medieval medicine

By Emily Briffett

Published: Sunday, 14 April 2024 at 06:00 AM


What would a medieval first aid kit have contained? What were the era’s strangest cures? And is it true that it was better to steer clear of the doctor altogether in the Middle Ages? Speaking to Emily Briffett, Elma Brenner answers listener questions about medieval medical theory and practice – from how gruesome surgery really was, to whether leeches were actually that useful.