Superstition in Medicine

The work defines medical superstition as attributing normal and pathological bodily phenomena to supernatural agencies and then traces how such beliefs have shaped medical thought. It examines the interplay between religious doctrines, philosophical systems, and emerging natural science, showing how ritual, magic, astrology, and metaphysical explanations influenced treatments and theory. The author also considers medicine's own contribution to perpetuating unscientific practices, explores links between superstition and mental disturbance, and offers critical historical analysis supported by illustrations and references, concluding with an added chapter by the translator that reflects on contemporary implications.