Medicine and Healthcare in Roman Britain

Covers individual medical care, public health and the relationship between religion and medicine in Roman Britain. This book examines the archaeological, epigraphic and literary evidence for health care in Roman Britain, set in the context of the Roman Empire.

---

In considering medicine in Roman Britain it is crucial not to be blinkered by modern views and values; health care must always be seen in context. Viewed from the twenty-first century perspective, it is easy to dismiss or denigrate some aspects of Roman medicine and yet to overstate others. How can we be confident that a bronze instrument was actually a surgical tool? Are aqueducts, drains and bath-houses really a reflection of roman concern for the public health? Should we so easily dismiss dream therapy and other apparently bizarre treatments as being ineffective in the context of Roman Britain? In this book Dr Summerton has assembled and critically examines the archaeological, epigraphic and literary evidence for health care in Roman Britain, set in the context of the Roman Empire.