La procréation au début de la période moderne

Childbearing in the Early Modern Period. Breastfeeding Remedies in the Kingdom of Majorca (1470-1778)


Talk by Pablo José Alcover Cateura



19 March 2024 – 5 PM (CET)



In this lecture, I will discuss the confit d’en cases or confectio infantium, a remedy for breastfed infants with colic, meteorism, and aerophagia. Created by Antoni Cases, a late medieval Majorcan apothecary, it treated ailments with abdominal distension. Its effectiveness is partly proven today. Made with anise and fennel, it has carminative properties, helping with postprandial burping. It was also cheaper than similar drugs like the tiriaca puerorum.


While in the Late Middle Ages and Renaissance, many medicines were invented, their distribution in apothecaries varied. The Confit was more easily accepted than other preparations as it aligned with the precepts of Galenic medicine.



I will first explain why the case of reaction was particularly difficult to explain in the context of the Aristotelian conception of nature that was still heavily influential for physicists and physicians of this period.



In this lecture, I will use mostly post-mortem inventories from Majorcan apothecaries, with six inventories from the Arxiu del Regne De Mallorca (1470-1778) which have been identified.



In 1581, there were eighteen drugstores in Majorca, making these inventories a valid sample for study. The Arxiu del Regne de Mallorca, with well-preserved notarial archives, provides insights into local apothecaries and new medicines.



This research contributes to scientific knowledge for health professionals in the Western Mediterranean and Iberian Peninsula.



To register for this event please follow the link:

https://csmbr.fondazionecomel.org/events/online-lectures/childbearing-em-period/


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CHILDBEARING IN THE EARLY MODERN PERIOD

This talk will discuss the confit d'en cases or confectio infantium, a remedy for breastfed babies suffering from colic, meteorism and aerophagia. The confit was more readily accepted than other preparations because it conformed to the rules of Galenic medicine.
The post-mortem inventories of Mallorcan apothecaries are used to explain why the case of the reaction was particularly difficult to explain in the context of the Aristotelian view of nature, which was still very influential for physicists and doctors of the time.







csmbr.fondazionecomel.org