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Herbs were widely used as remedies for all sorts of illnesses. These remedies were often written down in books known as herbals, with pictures of the plants and explanations of how they should be used and in what doses. Herbs were ground using a pestle and mortar and made into liquids to drink or oils for ointment.

People used plants that grew locally in their gardens:

• mint for stomach complaints
• garlic for wounds
• lavender for headaches

There were also plants in the countryside:

• dandelions for colds and gallstones
• stinging nettles for aching joints and as a blood tonic

By the late Middle Ages foreign plants were also being used more frequently.

Medical Renaissance

The early modern era saw some further developments in treatments. The period from c.1500 to c.1650 is sometimes called the Medical Renaissance.

The invention of printing meant that medical books could be produced more cheaply which helped ideas to spread rapidly. William Turner authored two works Names of Herbs in 1548 and A New Herbal in 1551.

The voyages of discovery saw new medicinal plants introduced into Europe.

In essence, however, though there had been some developments in medical knowledge, attempts at curing illness had made little progress since the Middle Ages.