Comments on: Did women go through menopause during medieval times?

By: Louise C

Louise C — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:50:38 +0000

Not all women died in their 40s and 50s in medieval times. Some lived into old age, Eleanor of Aquitaine for example lived to be over 80. Those who lived past their 40s would certainly have experienced the menopause, and like today, some women would have been more affected by it than others.

Medieval doctors were certainly aware of the menopause. In The Diseases of Women, by Trotula of Salerno (possibly a woman physician) published in the 13th century, it says:

‘Since in women not so mcuh heat abounds that it suffices to use up the moistures which daily collect in them, their weakness cannot endure so much exertion as to be able to put forth that moisture to the outside air as in the case of men.

Nature herself, on account of this definciency, has assinged for them a special purgation namely the menses, commonly called flowers . .Now a purgation of this sort usually befalls women about the 13th or 14th year or a little earlier or later according to whether heat or cold abounds in them more. It lasts up to about the 50th year if she is lean; sometimes up to the 60th or 65th year if she is moist; in the moderatelyu fat up to about the 45th.’

By: ElDuderino

ElDuderino — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:50:38 +0000

yeah, but the mood swings and complaints about hot flashes got them condemned as witches, and tossed in the river.

By: Emily

Emily — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:50:38 +0000

thats weird question

By: xxZelda4everxx

xxZelda4everxx — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:50:38 +0000

I think it is the same for all women or around the same…but most of them did not make it that far cause the life expectancy was low…

By: Marie

Marie — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:50:38 +0000

Childbearing was hugely important amongst royalty and women were considered not likely to have a child after 35, but it did happen. Many women lived long lives and I imagine went through menopause. You have to remember that people died young because of diseases that are now curable. Women have kids at a later age now because of technology. I read that Sandra Bullock has done everything possible to conceive, as well as Demi Moore. I love Sandra, but she’s 45. Demi is around that age. I’ve known people to go through menopause at 35 and 50. I don’t think women’s bodies have evolved that much in such a short (evolutionary) time span.

By: Joseph

Joseph — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:50:38 +0000

No menopause didn’t begin until women got older in the 1800′s. Before that everyone was dead by 40.

By: upyr1

upyr1 — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:50:38 +0000

the human body hasn’t realy changed excpet for life span so the women who lived long enough would ahve gone through menopause. those that didn’t live long enough didn’t.

By: Jim L

Jim L — Tue, 30 Mar 2010 14:50:38 +0000

Those few who made it to the mid-forties did.

Menopause is programed for the mid-late forties so that a woman does not go on producing till she dies, leaving young children uncared for. But as I said, it doesn’t always work like that.

Henry Holland’s wife had a child in the 1790s at the age of 46. Not medieval, but medicine hadn’t advanced much.