Humoral Medicine | Pregnancy, Birth, and Breastfeeding in the Middle Ages

Learn about the humoral theory and it’s ideas about pregnancy, birth, and infant care including breastfeeding.
Learn about the humoral theory and it’s ideas about pregnancy, birth, and infant care including breastfeeding.
Beatrice Baxter Ruyl was a progressive, well-educated woman who came of age at the turn of the 20th century. She worked as an illustrator and author, focusing on depictions of the Zuni Pueblo, but she is best recognized as the subject of breastfeeding photography by Gertrude Kasebier in the early 1900’s.
What was measles like for people before vaccination? Watch or read about measles in the Tudor era.
An Egyptologist from 1904 considers the infant carriers found on a 3,500 year old tomb wall.
In 1913, breastfeeding was highly recommended by medical professionals due to the high infant mortality associated with cow milk substitutes. But how were new mothers educated about breastfeeding? The recommendations might surprise you. Boracic acid, anyone?
What if crawling is unnecessary? There are cultures in which babies are not allowed to crawl and are never given floor time. What effect does that have on their development?
Imagine a world where there are no books about keeping your baby healthy in your language, even in your country: that was the case in England until Thomas Phaer published “The Boke of Chyldren” in 1544.
Learn how the Aymara tradition of carrying their babies is reflected in their concept of time and language– and how infant carriers built empires.
It’s difficult to make sure baby stays warm in the winter but imagine living in the arctic full time. Learn how the Inuit have combined baby carrier and coat to keep themselves and their babies warm.
Okay, so newborns are effectively needy hot water bottles. But instead of looking at their helplessness at birth as a negative thing, we should consider the benefits.