Medicine in the Middle Ages| A list of healing herbs

How did the people of medieval Europe live without health insurance, hospitals, clinics, and other forms of health care that are available to us today?

 
Well, most people suffered in silence; some may haven't even known they were sick, as many diseases were diagnosed later. Or if they knew, it was more likely an acute pain that they could not take it anymore.

The most common form of treatment was the medicine administered to them by doctors (who had studied some classic Greek and Roman medicines) or, in small and remote communities, by other healers. There were physicians, barbers, surgeons, itinerary surgeons (traveling from place to place and offering their services to the wounded), healers (people without any formal training but a lot of hands-on experience in working with medicines), and apothecaries (the pharmacists of today).

The majority of medicines available in the Middle Ages  were obtained from plants, herbs, and spices that were simmered, boiled, minced, and mixed with other ingredients to make a medicine that was mainly drunk, eaten, and occasionally inhaled.

 
Here is a list of herbs, spices, and other plants used in curing (see Daily life in the Middle Ages by Paul B. Newman, p 261):

Hippocrates, greek physician,
 (cca 460 - 370 BCE)

Rosemary                      
sage
marjoram
mint
dill
squill
pimpinella
henbane
betony
pennyroyal
cumin
cardamon
ginger
cloves
rhubarb
lettuce
and seeds of various trees

Other healing solutions included some unusual matters like pig dung for nosebleeds or raven droppings for toothaches. The variety of materials used for healing in medieval Europe is both surprising and intriguing, reflecting the creativity and resourcefulness of the healers of the time.

Mercury(that today we know is harmful for the human body) was also used in the preparation of some medicines, as well as gold or some dust gathered from Egyptian mummies. These medicines were very expensive and so only available to the very rich people, highlighting the stark inequality in healthcare access in medieval Europe.