However --- let me go all schoolmarm on you (on one little point) --- I see you used the words "middle ages," to allude to a time before scientific, or at least empirical, medicine. That's not quite right. The Middle Ages in Europe saw the spread the healing arts especially in monastic settings, with much emphasis on bodily cleanliness, the use of soap, pure water, moderate diet and herbal remedies, and (on the physical side), and examination of conscience, repentance for sin, and forgiveness of all who have injured one, invoking God's mercy on both friends and enemies (on the spiritual side.)
The monasteries --particularly the Benedictines--- also preserved and translated books from classical antiquity, with many medical texts both on ancient Greek and Islamic medicine translated from Arabic during the 13th century.
It's a personal bug of mine when people use words like "middle ages" or "medieval" to suggest ignorance.
OK, carry on! :o)
Thank you so much for clarifying and educating me. You are correct. So sciences in medicine has a long history of trying to deal with human illness, sometimes great, sometimes with goofs later altered.
I find it interesting that in the Mental Health arena it was the nuns that tried to care for the mentally ill in more compassionate ways as best they could without the medicine advances we have today. I don’t think the church or Christianity gets credit for this history.