Soutra was a medieval hospital, known as the House of the Holy Trinity, run by an Augustinian order and is believed to have been the largest hospital in medieval Scotland. The Soutra complex was built close to the main route from the north to the abbeys on the Scottish Borders.

The existence of a medieval hospital is revealed by the presence of a drain filled with medical waste and blood perfectly preserved in clay suggesting the use of plants for medicine. Details about which herbs are found in which trenches and cellars are fascinating. They provide an insight into the reality of life between 1150-1420CE in a busy monastery on a major route between the warring countries; where creative use of plants to maintain good health was evident.

The illustrations by R A Parkin are beautiful, and the modern Macer translation is by Sarah Atkinson. Copies of Macer are likely to have been in many monastic houses; it was one of the most widely available medical books in medieval times.

A truly fascinating book about medicine in medieval times!

ISBN 978-1-5272-2572-5