Leprosy in the Middle Ages

Leprosy in the Middle Ages

Medieval people were very concerned about how to deal with those in their midst who had leprosy, now called Hansen's disease. It's assumed today that sufferers were shunned from society, forced onto the margins, and generally hated.

But in this episode of Gone Medieval, Dr. Eleanor Janega finds out from Professor Carole Rawcliffe about what was it really like to live with leprosy, both as a sufferer or as a member of the communities that needed to care for them.

This episode was edited by Joseph Knight and produced by Rob Weinberg.

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