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R.A.Ross wrote: > > Is anyone aware of any works cataloguing or even generally discussing > descriptions of disease in early (to AD 1000) Christian writing. I am > particularly interested in descriptions of actual symptoms, although > I am also planning on constructing a chronological catalogue of > references to epidemic, warfare and famine. My primary interest is > demographic and epidemiological, but I am also interested in the rhetorical > and explanatory roles of disease in religious genres. > Ron Ross > Archaeological Research Consultancy of the > University of Sheffield (ARCUS) > [log in to unmask] > ([log in to unmask]) Mary Forman, osb, wrote an article on Syncletica in Vox Benedictina [10/2 (1993) 199-237] in which she refers to the saint's final sickness: "According to her biographer, Syncletica lived to the ripe old age of eighty years without any diminishment of her acuity, but with a heightened share in bodily suffering. During the last three and a half years of her life (§106), she suffered from a disease that first started with a toothache, then developed into infected gums, and finally spread throughout her mouth and jaw area—likely some form of cancer (§111). Typical of an age when knowledge of disease processes was very underdeveloped, this malady was attributed to the devil, a subject occupying four chapters (§106, 108, 110 and 111). In the last few months of her suffering, gangrene set in and the odour was so bad that many could not tolerate being in her room and those who did enter, brought incense to ward off the stench. The amma refused all external aids, desiring not to have any of her glorious combat taken away or alleviated. Finally a doctor was called in who persuaded her to accept his mixture of aloes, myrrh and the wine of myrtle, with which dead and decomposing bodies were shrouded. She complied with these ministrations only out of compassion for her visitors (§111). During the last three days of her life she experienced visions, by which she knew her hour of departure was arriving (§113). There is nothing here of the miraculous. It is only the teaching of this holy woman of God alone that is the salvific remedy, healing the wounds of others (§107)." (pp. 207-208) Mary's address is: Sister Mary Forman, osb Sacred Heart Monastery P.O. Box 364 Richardton ND 58652 Margot King Peregrina Publishing Co. 17 Woodside Avenue Toronto, Ontario M6P 1L6 Phone: 416-604-3111 Fax: 416-604-7883 E-mail: [log in to unmask] Website: http://www.home.ican.net/~margot/Peregrina.html %%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%