Iona McCleery’s research while affiliated with University of Leeds and other places

Background and objective: In modern Britain, palliative and end-of-life care is governed by quality standards and guidance, which should consider spiritual and psychological needs. However, there are significant gaps in provision of services which was highlighted during the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic where many individuals and families suffered profound spiritual and existential distress. Significant gaps remain in the provision of services to support patients with spiritual and psychological needs which can affect the management of physical symptoms. During the medieval period in Western Europe, it was important to prepare well for death throughout life. It has been suggested that lessons may be learned from medieval preparations for death which might benefit those approaching end-of-life in contemporary society. It is therefore timely to consider medieval attitudes to death and reflect on how these might inform modern end-of-life care. The objective of this review is to synthesise literature addressing modern end-of-life care in the UK and contrast this with literature on preparations for death during the medieval period in Western Europe. Our aim is to determine whether there is wisdom to be gained from history which could inform our approaches to end-of-life care today. Methods: Using online databases and broad keyword searches along with experts in the field of medieval history, we identified literature and translations of texts with a focus on preparations for death during both periods. These were narratively synthesised and discussed. Key content and findings: A key finding is that the medieval attitude to death was as an integral part of life, whereas in modern society death is not usually considered until the situation arises. The review highlights a need for a better understanding of the individuality of spiritual and existential needs during end-of-life care in modern society, which will vary according to individual choice, culture, societal group, religion, and belief. Conclusions: The lessons we can learn from our medieval counterparts include the need for lifelong and individual preparations for the end of life, with emphasis on spiritual needs. Alongside palliative interventions, we need to take time to appreciate what gives individuals spiritual support and provide the resources to facilitate this.

Objectives During the Middle Ages, Portugal witnessed unprecedented socioeconomic and religious changes under transitioning religious political rule. The implications of changing ruling powers for urban food systems and individual diets in medieval Portugal is poorly understood. This study aimed to elucidate the dietary impact of the Islamic and Christian conquests. Materials and Methods Radiocarbon dating, peptide mass fingerprinting (ZooMS) and stable isotope analysis (δ13C, δ15N) of animal (n = 59) and human skeletal remains (n = 205) from Muslim and Christian burials were used to characterize the diet of a large historical sample from Portugal. A Bayesian stable isotope mixing model (BSIMM) was used to estimate the contribution of marine protein to human diet. Results Early medieval (8–12th century), preconquest urban Muslim populations had mean (±1SD) values of −18.8 ± 0.4 ‰ for δ13C 10.4 ± 1 ‰ for δ15N, indicating a predominantly terrestrial diet, while late medieval (12–14th century) postconquest Muslim and Christian populations showed a greater reliance on marine resources with mean (±1SD) values of −17.9 ± 1.3‰ for δ13C and 11.1 ± 1.1‰ for δ15N. BSIMM estimation supported a significant increase in the contribution of marine resources to human diet. Discussion The results provide the first biomolecular evidence for a dietary revolution that is not evidenced in contemporaneous historical accounts. We find that society transitioned from a largely agro-pastoral economy under Islamic rule to one characterized by a new focus on marine resources under later Christian rule. This economic change led to the naissance of the marine economy that went on to characterize the early-modern period in Portugal and its global expansion.

Making Medicines in Early Colonial Lima, Peru: Apothecaries, Science and Society. Linda A. Newson. The Atlantic World 34. Leiden: Brill, 2017. xvi + 346 pp. $131. - Volume 73 Issue 1 - Iona McCleery

Krötzl Christian , Mustakallio Katariina and Kuuliala Jenni (eds.), Infirmity in Antiquity and the Middle Ages: Social and Cultural Approaches to Health, Weakness and Care (Farnham: Ashgate, 2015), pp. xii, 311, £ 75, hardback, ISBN: 978-1-4724-3834-8. - Volume 61 Issue 3 - Iona McCleery

Colonial medicine is a thriving field of study in the history of nineteenth- and twentieth-century medicine. Medicine can be used as a lens to view colonialism in action and as a way to critique colonialism. This article argues that key debates and ideas from that modern field can fruitfully be applied to the Middle Ages, especially for the early empires of Spain and Portugal (mid-fourteenth to mid-sixteenth centuries). The article identifies key modern debates, explores approaches to colonization and colonialism in the Middle Ages and discusses how medieval and modern medicine and healthcare could be compared using colonial and postcolonial discourses. The article ends with three case studies of healthcare encounters in Madeira, Granada and Hispaniola at the end of the fifteenth century.