Medicine and the Law in the Middle Ages (Medieval Law and Its Practice, 17) - Hardcover

Wendy J. Turner, Ph.D. (2000), UCLA, is Professor of History at Georgia Regents University. Her monograph is Care and Custody of the Mentally Ill, Incompetent, and Disabled in Medieval England (Brepols, 2013). Well published, she has edited two other volumes.
Sara M. Butler, Ph.D. (2001), Dalhousie University, is Associate Professor of History at Loyola University New Orleans. She is the author of two books, most recently Divorce in Medieval England: From One to Two Persons in Law (Routledge, 2013).

"...With a concentration on reading and critiquing these medieval sources of medicine and law together, Turner and Butler, along with their contributors uncover how two bodies of knowledge intersect and interact, shedding light on each other equally. Indeed, "a study of medical practice through the eyes of the law...furnishes a unique opportunity to see medicine in action" (7). Simultaneously, Turner and Butler describe the law as invested in medicine and physicians for their expertise in court cases and legal matters. ...presenting several avenues for future study, highlighting one of the strengths of this collection. ...The distinction between theory and practice raised by several essays in the collection, especially those discussing the prestige of medical education or licensure, serves ... as one of the more significant contributions the collection makes. And, indeed, for this reviewer, reading [Katherine D. Watson's] remarks makes clear how this collection raises as many questions as it answers, which is particularly appealing. Indeed, although scholars might wish for essays on subjects not covered, it is fitting that such a scholarly endeavor would need to strike a balance between comprehensiveness and coverage. So while this collection contains essays that are focused--almost surgical in their specific interventions--it also makes an effort to include a range of topics, covering almost ten centuries of material and most of Western Europe in twelve well-constructed chapters. Although it is ambitious, the collection responds with clarity and concision to the texts under discussion."
Will Rogers, University of Louisiana, Monroe in The Medieval Review, 15.10.46