Original scientific paper
Miraculous Healings of Paralysis: A Preliminary Study on Sources
Amir Muzur
orcid.org/0000-0002-9770-6733
; University of Rijeka, School of Medicine, Department of Social Sciences and Medical Humanities, Rijeka, Croatia
Iva Rincic
orcid.org/0000-0003-1028-8813
; University of Rijeka, School of Medicine, Department of Social Sciences and Medical Humanities, Rijeka, Croatia
Abstract
The aim of the present paper has been to explore the medieval evidence on miraculous healings of paralysis and to confront it with modern medical knowledge. Paralysis has been selected as a model for such a study and St. Bernardino of Siena (1380–1444) as a model of a saintly healer. Analyzed were the primary sources and modern literature. Paralysis was found to be among the most frequent diseases in medieval miracle reports, including the healings by St. Bernardino. According to the hypothesis offered in the paper, the majority of medieval cases of »miraculously healed paralysis« was of conversive origin.
Keywords
miracle; saint-protector; paralysis; hysteria; conversive disorder
Hrčak ID:
99504
URI
Publication date:
3.4.2013.
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