Uztaro

Aurkezten dugun lana hiru ataletan banatzen da. Lehenean, Erdi Aroko hiru gaisotasun ezaugarritsu hartzen dira aztergai: izurria, legena eta “su sakratua” delakoa, bai beren ezaugarri klinikoak bai beren bilakaera historikoa azalduz. Segidan, bigarren partean, garai horretako baliabide medikoak deskribatzen dira: sendagilearen lanbidearen bilakaera eta definizioa, tratamendu eta prozedurak, bai eta ospitaleen antolamendua ere. Azkenez, eritasunak edo, hobeto esanda, eritasunaren beldurrak sortarazten zituen erreakzio eta ondorio nabari batzuk aipatzen ditugu, hots, legendunen bazterketa-prozesua, azorritzaile edo “flagelatzaileen” mugimendua, izurritea eta juduen jazarpenen arteko harremanak (Izurri Beltzaren garaian, batez ere) eta herri-debozio eta sineskeriaren garapena.

 

The work we expose on the following article is divided into three different parts. In the firs part, three characteristic illnesses in the Middle Age are studied: epidemic, leprosy and the so-called “sacred fire”, describing both their clinical characteristics and their historical evolution. Going on, in the second part, medical resources at that time are described: the definition and evolution of the medical occupation, treatments and processes, and the organization of hospitals. Finally, in the last part, we mention some of the reacts and effects originated by illness, or, let’s say, by illness fear: the rejecting process suffered by the leprous, the punishers’ movement, relations between epidemics and the persecution of Jews (specially during the Black Epidemic) and the development of people’s devotion and superstition.