Trotula and Hildegard: Reflections of female medieval medicine

This thesis analyzes the healing theories and practices of Hildegard of Bingen and Trotula. Hildegard, a nun, was from a small German town, while Trotula, a medicat teacher, resided in Salerno, Italy.;Magic and theology were seen in the writing of both practitioners but their use of various diagnostic tools and treatments differed from each other. The religious background of Hildegard wove God and the devil throughout her medical practice. Adam's fall had produced disease and God was the final arbiter of who lived, regardless of medical regimen. Trotula used more complex herbal treatments and prescriptions than Hildegard who recommended simple receits. Trotula utilized more Islamic and Byzantine methods, while Hildegard employed more monastic practices. Some reasons for these differences lay in these two healers' geographic locations, their access to herbs and other remedies, available medical literature, and their positions in society.