Saint Anthony's Fire from Antiquity to the Eighteenth Century
Regular price
€125.99
14 days return policy
Shipping & Delivery
A01=Alessandra Foscati
Age Group_Uncategorized
Age Group_Uncategorized
Author_Alessandra Foscati
automatic-update
Category1=Non-Fiction
Category=HBG
Category=MBX
Category=MJC
Category=NHB
COP=Netherlands
Delivery_Delivery within 10-20 working days
epidemic disease
eq_bestseller
eq_history
eq_isMigrated=2
eq_nobargain
eq_non-fiction
ergotism
ignis sacer
Language_English
PA=Not available (reason unspecified)
Price_€100 and above
PS=Active
softlaunch
St. Anthony's fire
Product details
- ISBN 9789462983342
- Dimensions: 156 x 234mm
- Publication Date: 28 Nov 2019
- Publisher: Amsterdam University Press
- Publication City/Country: NL
- Product Form: Hardback
- Language: English
Secure
checkout
Fast Shipping
Easy returns
After the discovery of the ergotism epidemics (poisoning caused by ingesting the fungal toxin of rye) and its etiology, eighteenth-century physicians interpreted medieval chronicles in their medical texts in order to recognize the occurrences of ergotic diseases through retrospective diagnosis. They assumed that St. Anthony's fire and ignis sacer ("sacred fire") recorded in medieval texts represented the same disease, ergotism. This interpretative method, lacking a textual basis in the sources, has been incorrectly followed by historians till now. This book examines this historical prejudice through textual analysis, comparing diverse medieval and early modern sources. A striking semantic complexity emerges that changes the concept of St. Anthony's fire and modifies our understanding of diseases in general. This research illuminates aspects of the history of medicine, society, and hospitals.
Alessandra Foscati holds a PhD in Medieval History at the University of Bologna. She is member of the School of Arts and Humanities, Centre for Classical Studies - University of Lisbon. She is the author of Ignis sacer. Una storia culturale del ‘fuoco sacro’ dall’antichità al Settecento, Florence, SISMEL 2013.
