The pilgrims of the Jacobean Roads to Santiago very often became extremely sick and died of ergotism (ignis sacer). A non-contagious epidemic had been emerging since 1090 throughout Europe, due to the consumption of rye bread contaminated by the fungus spore of ergot and causing great devastations like pestilence. In order to provide support and treatment, the order of St. Anthony founded about 200 monastic hospitals on the four roads to Santiago. In these hagiotherapeutic centres representing the first huge, highly specialized European medical welfare system, the friars separated the ill pilgrims after a careful diagnosis of “St. Anthony's fire”, gave them ergot-free nourishment, herbal wines (with vasodilating and analgesic herbals) and applied Antonites-balsam, the first transdermal therapeutic system (TTS) in the history of medicine. In a very practical manner of charity they were taking care for the mental and somatic restitution of the victims of ergotism. Unfortunately, their secret recipes were lost at the end of medieval times. Because the monks were not allowed to perform operations after 1130, barber surgeons were engaged in many cloisters for treating open sores, inflamed limbs and for amputation gangrenous legs. Due to the lack of references in medical history, it is unknown whether other complications such as septic deliriums, tetanus and toxic hallucinations causing by ergotismus convulsivus were also treated.