aiaTranslations: The Language of Life Sciences Blog

What a translation of a 16th century medical casebook reveals about Shakespeare’s world

Written by Alysa Salzberg | Feb 7, 2020 5:00:00 AM

If you believe (as I do) that William Shakespeare is the actual author of his plays, you also believe that his daughter Susanna married a physician named John Hall.

Hall’s own existence isn’t in dispute; he was one of the most prestigious physicians in England in the early 17th century. Recently, his medical casebook has been translated from Latin into modern-day English.

Hall writes about treating a wide range of patients, from peasants, to nobles, from children, to the elderly. The book doesn’t reveal anything about William Shakespeare, but it provides an invaluable glimpse at the world he (or she or they) lived in.

Read on to learn more about John Hall’s book, and how to get a copy.

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