Hildegard of Bingen and her contribution to medical science

Hildegard of Bingen was born in 1098 in Böckelheim, West Franconia (now Germany) and during her lifetime, became an abbess, visionary, mystic, composer and medical practitioner.

She was educated at the Benedictine cloister of Disibodenberg and from the age of 15 began to wear the Benedictine habit and eventually became the prioress of this cloister at the age of 38.

Hildegard . . . an abbess, visionary, mystic, composer and medical practitioner

In 1147 Hildegard left Disibodenberg with several nuns and founded a new convent in Rupertsberg, near Bingen. She remained there for the rest of her life. As one of the few prominent women in medieval history, Hildegard has become a subject of increasing interest lately with many of her works translated into English.  Besides her religious writings, Hildegard was a talented poet and musical composer. Her music is still performed today and is beautifully mesmerizing in its quality.

Hildegard of Bingen with her nuns at Rupertsberg convent

Here we concentrate on her contributions to the field of medicine. She wrote extensively about her scientific observations, particularly those relating to healing the sick. Hildegard first acquired her knowledge of medicine by studying the wealth of knowledge held in the books of the Disibodenberg and Rupertsberg monastery libraries and then she put that knowledge into practice. 

She wrote extensively about her scientific observations, particularly those relating to healing the sick

After many years of observations and experiments she wrote two treatises. The first, Physica, which is made up of nine books, describes the medicinal properties of different plants. The second, Causae et Curae, is a study of the human body, in particular the causes and cures for various illnesses. These books also recorded for the first time in medieval history the medical knowledge of the period, some of which was only known then by non-clerical women who could not write Latin.

Her most important contribution to medical science was her use of extracts from herbs and spices … as treatments for various ailments

Her most important contribution to medical science was her use of extracts from herbs and spices, grown in the monastery grounds, and applying them as treatments for various ailments. It is well known today that naturally occurring chemical constituents of certain plants do have beneficial properties in the treatment of illnesses.  She was the first to catalogue these treatments and trained her fellow nuns how to administer them.

She also described remedies for physical injuries such as burns, fractures, dislocations and cuts, and was perhaps the first person to recognise the importance of boiling water to prevent infections.

Hildegard of Bingen died in 1179 in Rupertsberg at the age of 81. She was a remarkable woman in history who achieved so much in her lifetime. Not least was her contribution to the advances of knowledge and practice of medicine.

On May 10^th, 2012, Hildegard of Bingen was canonized as a saint by Pope Benedict XVI and that year she was proclaimed a doctor of the Church, one of only four women ever to have received that honour.

By our history correspondent