Did women go through menopause during medieval times?
Posted by admin on Apr 18, 2010
Sο today I wаѕ thinking, аחԁ іt occurred tο mе tһаt іf people wеrе dying іח tһеіr 40s аחԁ 50s back іח tһе day, аחԁ mοѕt women іח today’s times ɡο through menopause іח tһеіr 40s аחԁ 50s, wουƖԁ tһеу һаνе gone through menopause rіɡһt before tһеу еחԁеԁ up dying? WουƖԁ tһеу һаνе gone through іt аt a younger age? WουƖԁ tһеу һаνе һаԁ menopause аt аƖƖ?
Not all women died in their 40s and 50s in medieval times. Some lived into old age, Eleanor of Aquitaine for example lived to be over 80. Those who lived past their 40s would certainly have experienced the menopause, and like today, some women would have been more affected by it than others.
Medieval doctors were certainly aware of the menopause. In The Diseases of Women, by Trotula of Salerno (possibly a woman physician) published in the 13th century, it says:
‘Since in women not so mcuh heat abounds that it suffices to use up the moistures which daily collect in them, their weakness cannot endure so much exertion as to be able to put forth that moisture to the outside air as in the case of men.
Nature herself, on account of this definciency, has assinged for them a special purgation namely the menses, commonly called flowers . .Now a purgation of this sort usually befalls women about the 13th or 14th year or a little earlier or later according to whether heat or cold abounds in them more. It lasts up to about the 50th year if she is lean; sometimes up to the 60th or 65th year if she is moist; in the moderatelyu fat up to about the 45th.’