Matters and Myths of Medieval Medicine Guest: Winston Black, Lecturer and Adjunct Researcher, Medieval History, Idaho State University and Dalhousie University There are a lot of misconceptions surrounding the Black Death, disease, and medicine in the Middle Ages, but a close look at the sources reveals that medieval people weren’t quite as superstitious or irrational about their medicine as we might believe. They had many similar practices to those we're seeing today during this pandemic. The Middle Ages: Cleaner Than We Thought Guest: Katherine Harvey, Medieval Historian, Birkbeck, University of London Even without indoor plumbing, people in the Middle Ages were aware of—and attentive to—cleanliness much more than we've given them credit for.