Medieval medicine is much more than the traditional thoughts of leeches and bloodletting; charms, plant remedies, shamans, priests and a touch of the supernatural are easily incorporated into the description of the medicine of the time. Throughout this period, all of these elements combined to create what was then considered the most effective way to heal someone. By studying how medicine was practiced, we can better understand how medieval society functioned during times of illness. Charms, at their most basic in structure, were usually written letters or symbols, animal sacrifices, or gathered herbs or stones (Alonso 7). ). When charms are in written form, Middle English is the language of choice; however, Latin will sometimes be used. The sentences are “syntactically complete and the contents are varied” (Alonso 6). For example, there is the use of headaches, nosebleeds or astrological advice (Alonso 6). As literature was not a common skill in the Middle Ages, readers of these charms were limited to a small number of people (Alonso 7). Although many people could not...