Childbirth, Chills, and Fever: Manuscript Evidence for Medicine at St Guthlac’s Priory, Hereford

A single manuscript (Oxford, Jesus College, MS 37) from the collection formerly held at St Guthlac’s Priory, Hereford, presents limited evidence (in both its content and its structure) for an ongoing interest in medicine and cures on the part of the priory monks. It is suggested that the manuscript was adapted over time to meet practical considerations arising from the active engagement by the monks (or others acting on their behalf) in ministering to the wider Hereford community. These conclusions, arrived at via an analysis of the manuscript’s key texts, are supported by a consideration of trends in the provision of pastoral care in medieval Hereford.