The Social condition of the Patients in France in the Middle Ages

Introduction

The principal diseases indexed during the Middle Ages were leprosy and the plague. Contrary to the plague, leprosy does not deteriorate the lifespan of the patients and if diseases caused the horror among the medieval population, leprosy was the most horrifying. Indeed, directly inherited from the beliefs and philosophy of Greek antiquity, the body was considered as the reflection of the heart, but leprosy is a disease excessively deforming. Persuaded that the patients had evil heart and sould, the emperors as the clergy took care only to keep the leprous far from the healthy population by declaring them impure. 

Public health and Compassion

The first imperial decrees obliging the patients to announce itself sick go back to the VIII ^th century with the edict of Rothari which relates to the Kingdom of Lombardy. A few years later, Charlemagne is shown quite as pitiless with respect to the leprous ones.

The religious authorities are shown less pitiless and the Council of Orleans in 549 entrusts the load of leprous to the bishops. However, a true charitable dash appears with the XII ^nd century with the creation, in 1119, of the Order of Saint-Lazarus. Its vocation is to take care of the leprous.

Measures of Exclusion

The promulgated laws have the following consequences for any person found sick of leprosy:

1) As soon as leprosy is formally identified, the patient must leave all : parents, friends, work, house and even city. In the same way, it is  strictly forbidden to him of speaking with healthy people or touching anything belonging to healthy peoples and this, even indirectly (by washing its linen for example). Feeding, eating, drinking with or mating with a healthy person is also forbidden.

2) However, the leprous ones can circulate freely in the cities but cannot settle there. The laws also oblige them to announce in a visual and auditive way. Visual by their clothing which must be the longest and fullest possible to hide their deformities and of a plain color. One also recommends to them the wearing of gloves, shoes and a hat. Auditive using a rattle that they must agitate or of small olifant in which they must blow to announce their presence.

The frequent republication of the laws let suppose that they were seldom respected and the middle-age  iconography shows that the leprous ones more frequently adopted the loincloth  rather than the long and full coat..

Reality on Leprosy

Leprosy is caused by the bacillus of Hansen. This bacillus incubates during several years before the first lesions occur. It appears in three different forms: tuberculoïde, unspecified and lepromatous which is the most virulent form. Leprosy affects the peripheral skin and all nerves. The consequences go from the simple pustule to monstrous deformities. Insensitivity varies as for it wound with the mutilation while passing by the muscular paralysis. However, the loss of sensitivity does not remove the pain which is intense.

Leprosy is transmitted by direct and indirect cutaneous contagion: the bacillus of Hansen is emitted by the mouth, the nose and the respiratory tracts. The skin is contagious at the places of ulcerations but most of the time, the patients are not contagious. Writings dating from the VI ^th century before Jesus-Christ let suppose that the first manifestation of leprosy appeared in India.

Lastly, leprosy is never mortal…

To manage the Patients in a Medieval-Fantastic Universe

The epidemic is very interesting in the field of the Roleplays because it is source of many situations of scenarios and particular environments: 

1) It encourages the Characters Players to be careful toward the patients and can cause the mistrust of healthy people toward the Characters Players.

2) It can have many origins: Black magic, Liches, Necromancy, curse, demonic activities, divine punishment…

3) It can make it possible to the Characters Players to achieve an exploit by eradicating a tough epidemy and they can progress thus in social status.

4) It can be present makes in filigree some and help the Game Master to settle a special environment.

Lexicon

Miser: leprous (term used with the Middle Ages)

Maladrery or Meanness: hospital where one looks after the leprous ones (synonym of “leper-house”, later term)

Cliquète: three wood plates fixed by a cord on a handle and which make noise while being entrechoquant.

Rattle, flavel, tartarie, tartarette: synonym of “cliquète” (the rattle such as it is known is very recent).

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