Care and custody of the mentally ill, incompetent, and disabled in medieval England
By: by Wendy J. Turner
Series: Cursor mundi -- volume 16; Cursor mundi (Turnhout, Belgium) -- v. 16.
Publisher: Brepols
Published: 2013
Place of publication: Turnhout
Language: eng
Number of pages: 332
ISBN-13: 9782503540399
Subjects: Mentally ill; Care; History; People with mental disabilities; Capacity and disability; Mental Disorders; Mentally Ill Persons; Commitment of Mentally Ill; Medieval History; Mental Competency; Legislation & jurisprudence; Mental Health Services
Description: This book is about the social understanding and treatment of the mentally ill, incompetent, and disabled in late medieval England. Drawing on archival, literary, medical, legal, and ecclesiastic sources and studies, the volume seeks to present a coherent picture of society's treatment, protection, abuse, care, and custody of the incapacitated. Although many medieval stories stereotyped the mad (most often as sinners or innocents), for example, there is clear evidence that English society treated and cared for the impaired on a person-by-person basis. The mentally incapacitated were not lumped into one category and not ignored or sent away; on the contrary, both the English administration and the public had many categories and terms for mental conditions, cognitive abilities, and levels of physicality (violence) associated with impairment. English society also had safeguards and assistants (keepers, custodians, guardians) in place to help mentally impaired persons in life.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (pages 277-317) and indexes.