Sarah of St. Gilles (fl. 1326)

views updated

Sarah of St. Gilles (fl. 1326)

Jewish physician of France. Flourished in 1326 in Marseilles; married Abraham, a physician.

Sarah of St. Gilles was a Jewish doctor of Marseilles. Unlike so many medieval women doctors, Sarah seems to have avoided trouble with the local authorities, even though she had a substantial practice and was widely respected for her healing abilities. The records of Marseilles show that in 1326 Sarah was licensed to take on apprentices and that she chose to instruct women in the healing arts. This fact reveals the personal wealth she had amassed, since all apprentices had to be fed, clothed, and housed for up to a year or more at the doctor's expense; in return, Sarah received all the money they earned during their tutelage.

sources:

LaBarge, Margaret. A Small Sound of the Trumpet: Women in Medieval Life. Boston, MA: Beacon Press, 1986.

Laura York , Riverside, California

More From encyclopedia.com