St. Francis came at dawn--the miraculous recovery of a hemiplegic monk in the Middle Ages.
We present the English translation of a remarkable case report from the 13th century. A collection of miracles ascribed to St. Francis contains the story of a young monk suddenly afflicted by a neurological disorder characterized by hemiplegia, speech problems and confusion. St. Francis' appearance led to complete recovery. From a theological and literary point of view, the text includes many allusions to the miracles performed by Jesus and to pagan traditions from Asclepius to Ovid. Retrospective neurological diagnoses range from a prolonged ischemic neurological deficit (PRIND) to psychogenesis. This case history is a rare example of faith healing in its contemporary context.
Moog
Ferdinand Peter
FP
Institute for the History of Medicine and Medical Ethics, University of Cologne, Joseph-Stelzmann-Strasse 9, D-50931 Cologne, Germany. ajg02@rrz.uni-koeln.de
Karenberg
Axel
A
D002835:Christianity / Q000266:history; D029221:Faith Healing; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000266:history*; D049691:History, Medieval; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012068:Religion and Medicine; D018597:Saints / Q000266:history