Medieval medicine is more than the traditional thoughts of leeches and bloodletting; spells, herbal remedies, shamans, priests and a hint of the supernatural are easily incorporated into the description of the medicine of the time. During this period of time, all of these elements combined together to create what was then seen as the most effective way to cure someone. By studying how medicine was practiced, one can better understand how medieval society operated in times of illness. Spells, in their most basic structure, tended to be written letters or symbols, animal sacrifices, or collected herbs or stones (Alonso 7). When amulets are in written form, Middle English is the preferred language; however, Latin will occasionally be used. The sentences are “syntactically complete and the contents varied” (Alonso 6). For example, there is the use of headaches, nosebleeds, or astrological advice (Alonso 6). Since literature was not a common skill in the Middle Ages, readers of these spells were limited to a limited number of people (Alonso 7). Although many people might n...