The medical field of nursing has been dedicated to helping save lives since the Medieval and Renaissance periods. In medieval times, women had multiple roles such as: practitioners, midwives. , nurses and local healers. Nurses were only there when needed. They were especially needed during the time of the Black Death. They had to carry out many tasks with the sick. People died one at a time due to the Black Death. They were preparing the bodies for funerals. (The History of Medicine). Many types of medicines were used during this period. According to lordsandladies.org, “Medieval medicine was extremely basic at a time when terrible diseases such as the Black Death killed nearly a third of the population. Medicine was limited. Doctors had no idea what caused this illness. Catholic churches believed that these illnesses were a punishment from God. “Medicines were used to treat simple things like headaches and joint pain. Nurses used roses, lavender, sage and bay leaf (for headaches) as well as a mixture of henbane and hemlock (for painful joints). For stomach aches and illnesses, nurses used wormwood, mint and balsam. For lung problems, they used medicines made from licorice and comfrey. For wounds, they were cleaned with vinegar. Mint could be used for venom. Diagnostic methods in the early Renaissance were no different from those in the medieval period or the Middle Ages. Nurses and doctors had no idea how to cure highly contagious diseases. When someone was diagnosed with syphilis, no one knew what to do. To treat diseases, they tried to use superstitious rites and magic. King Charles II was even asked to touch the sick to......middle of paper...their painful feet and breasts. The best documentation of childbirth and subsequent care appears to be provided by illustrations on wooden trays and majolica ware designed for use by the new mother in Renaissance Italy. (http://www.gallowglass.org/jadwiga/herbs/WomenMed.html)Herbal medicine is the use of medicinal plants for the prevention and treatment of diseases: it ranges from traditional and popular medicines of each country to use of standardized medicines and titrated plant extracts. Generally speaking, enduring cultural roots and widespread use in a traditional medical system may indicate the safety, but not the effectiveness of treatments, particularly in herbal medicine where tradition relies almost entirely on remedies containing active ingredients at concentrations very weak and ultra weak, or relying on magical means. -energy principles. (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2206236/)