On the Street and in the Bathhouse: Medieval Galenism in Action?

In this article we combine the perspective of medieval urban hygiene and the findings of medical and intellectual historians by tracing some ways in which medieval urban residents and governments attempted to limit disease and promote health by recourse to preventative measures. In both of the urban regions and domains in focus, namely Italian streets and Dutch bathouses, considerable thought had been put into reducing the health risks percieved as attending upon them, at times devising arguments and procedures that possibly reflect insights from prevailing medical theories and the advice of practitioners. We suggest that the relation between medical learning and health practices was more complex than a trickle-down process, and analyze them in the context of pre-modern 'healthscaping': a physical, social, legal, administrative, and political process by which urban individuals, groups, and especially governments sought to safeguard and improve collective wellbeing.