LECTURE 2 "A Saint for Every Body Part"
Medical Saints and the Diseases They Cure
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1h 7m
In this lecture we will turn to saints associated with specific parts of the human anatomy and specific illnesses. There really is a saint for every body part and every conceivable ailment Included in our discussion will be St. Apollonia, the patron saint of dentistry, St. Fiacre, the patron saint of hemorrhoid sufferers, and St. Vitus, the saint for “St. Vitus Dance” (Sydenham chorea). We will also explore the legends and miracles of the “14 Emergency Helpers” (die Vierzehn Nothelfer) and many others. We will examine the stories underlying the associations with “their” anatomical structure or disease and survey the ways in which they were depicted in medieval and Renaissance art. We will also delve into what was known about these diseases by medical professionals of the period and what secular therapies were used along with the spiritual therapy of appealing to the appropriate saint.
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