From 1475 to 1798, Veere had a guild of barbers and surgeons dedicated to Saints Cosmas and Damianus. Karel Noorlander, retired general practitioner, describes the rise and fall of this guild against the background of the then prevailing views on disease, health and the history of the city. He draws on several archival sources.
The relationship between guild and government was laid down in privilege letters. Strict requirements were imposed on those who wanted to become members of the guild. The seventeenth-century account books, a guild minute book, the aldermen’s books and the city accounts provide insight into the guild’s history: the number of members, their instruments, occupations, concerns and the relationship with the Middelburg guild. As a guild member, the plague master played an important role in epidemics and the town surgeon in caring for the poor, in the guesthouse and in wound care and autopsies. Veere’s decline in the eighteenth century is reflected in the withering away of the guild, culminating in its dissolution in 1798.
Title: The guild of barbers and surgeons at Veere, 1475-1798
Author: Karel Noorlander
ISBN: 978-904-856-405-7
Bound, 320 pages
17 x 24 x 2.7 cm
€ 34,99
The presentation of this book will take place on September 6, 2024 at 16.00 at bookstore De Drukkerij, Markt 51 4331LK in Middelburg. As of that date, the book will be on sale in the bookstore.
This publication was made possible thanks to a financial contribution from the Hurgronje Family Fund.
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