Medical pluralism in early modern Malta during the eighteenth-century

Abstract

The aim of this dissertation is to analyse Malta in the eighteenth-century as a medical pluralistic society, particularly focusing on the practice of folk healing and apothecarists. Medical pluralism can shed light on the social history of a society. Therefore, this research will help to find out the accessibility of medical practitioners to different social classes. The role that these practitioners held in the community will also be assessed. This will help to identify if they had an active role in their community and how they were perceived. The role of folk healers and apothecarists on the European continent will be studied. This will aid to establish the similarities and differences between Maltese practitioners and those on the continent. Other studies about the medical history of Europe will also be consulted to discover how the Maltese islands contributed to the healing sector in Europe. This study is divided into four chapters. The first chapter will provide the general context needed in order to understand this research. Information will be given about the eighteenth- century and medical history. The sources used for this study will also be explained. The second chapter will analyse the role of apothecarists on the island. It will assess their social role and financial situation. The third chapter will study the medical ingredients found in the Maltese apothecaries in the eighteenth-century. Particular attention will be given to medical ingredients that were associated with the Maltese islands all over Europe. The healing properties of these ingredients will be studied to check if previous healing beliefs persisted in the eighteenth-century. The fourth and last chapter will study the role of folk healers on the island. It will help established the medical and social role of folk healers.