Amato Lusitano (1511-1568), a Portuguese physician and professor of anatomy in Ferrara, documented his consultation with a patient who had fallen into a melancholic state following childbirth. He reports that, on the seventh day after giving birth, the patient began to suffer from fever and stiffness. Her head hurt and she felt severe pain under her left breast near her heart. The patient's fever continued the next day, her stiffness grew, and she could not move. She spoke sparingly. Amato deduced that the patient had not been purged properly so he prescribed medicines and bled her. Over the next few days, her situation worsened; she slept poorly and was fearful. Then, her menses became heavy and red, and she became frantic and disturbed, and even spoke immodestly. The women who were assisting the patient attempted to exorcise a demonic spirit, but their efforts failed; consequently, Amato prescribed additional medicines. The physician continued his frequent visits to the patient, whose melancholy eventually subsided, though her sleep became disturbed.

Amato's case of the postpartum patient brings together the two main themes explored by Gender, Health, and Healing, 1250-1550: women's health and women's roles in healthcare. The insights and rich new data presented in this collection elucidate the medical context of this case and its underlying social and cultural circumstances. With this exemplum in mind, we might look ahead to the paths for future research inspired by this book.

Women's Health

Among medieval and early modern historians, scholastic explications of humoral theory have traditionally provided a baseline for scholars to identify and classify ‘medical’ texts and practices.