Panaceia's daughters : noblewomen as healers in early modern Germany /

The medical practitioners of 16th-century German principalities included a loose network of literate noblewomen. In this impeccably researched history, Rankin (Tufts Univ.) portrays the carefully managed herb gardens, distilleries, libraries, and apothecaries of these capable women, who were anything but dilettantes. Their healing activities, empiric (largely pharmaceutical) and experiential (in contrast to the scholastic and text-driven practice of university-trained physicians), were sanctioned extensions of the royal woman's customary management of the household and its domains. Of particular interest are the letters, inventories, and carefully guarded handwritten "recipe" (prescription) books that served as informal but effective mentoring systems. The medical practices of these noblewomen unfold in the context of the nascent Protestant Reformation, the duty of charity, the recognition of God as the supreme healer, and a growing interest in observational and experimental science among the upper classes. Rankin's extensive archival research brings to the fore a previously neglected category of healers. Her engaging text introduces a number of remarkable medical women. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-division undergraduates and above. S. W. Moss independent scholar