(You walk with Dr. Curie along a road in a thriving city. You see majestic mountains in the distance, and hear the crash of the nearby ocean.)
Panoramic Photograph of Salerno, Italy Website: Wikimedia Commons Weblink: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Salerno-PanoramaMazzoDellaSignora-v2.jpg “We are in the port city of Salerno, Italy during the 11th century. Salerno is in southern Italy, on the western coast, just south of Naples. In the 11th and 12th centuries, Salerno was the center of medical thought. People in Europe would travel hundreds of miles to seek healing from the physicians of Salerno. We are going to visit a dear friend of mine. She has been known by several names, but she is most often called Trotula of Salerno.”
(Dr. Curie leads you across a plaza to a woman seated by a fountain. Quill in hand, she is furiously writing in a large volume she is holding in her lap. She looks up as you approach.)
 Trotula Plataerius Website: Henderson State University Weblink: http://www.hsu.edu/default.aspx?id=3538
“Hello, Marie! So good to see you again. What are you doing in Italy?”
“Hello, Trotula. We are actually here to see you. Can you tell my guest a little bit about yourself?”
“Well, I need to be brief. I have much work to do. My name is Trotula. I am also called Trocta, and Trota. I am the first female professor of medicine at the school here in Salerno.”
“Excuse me, Trotula, but we see no school here. To which school are you referring?”
“Oh, yes. I forgot. School means a very different thing in your time. There was no actual school in the physical sense here until the 12th century. Prior to that, a large group of us collaborated, taught, and researched independently. The word ‘school’ in this sense is more of a school of thought than an actual building.” “I understand. Please forgive the interruption. Continue?” “Well, during my work here, I wrote a book called ‘On the Conditions of Women.’ It followed the teachings of Hippocrates and Galen, as well as several Arabic medicinal treatises by Ibn al-Jazzar. It was the primary text used to treat women’s diseases for the next 500 years.” “Very impressive! And you wrote this all by yourself?”
“Well, the ‘Trotula’ as it would come to be known was actually comprised of three texts, but I was responsible for the first of the three, yes.”
 Cover of "The Trotula," edited and translated by Monica Green Website: University of Pennsylvania Weblink: http://www.upenn.edu/pennpress/book/13496.html “And what made your work so unique and long lasting?”
“Well, this was no mere midwife’s handbook. My work covered the treatment of a variety of diseases including: menstrual disorders, conditions of the womb, the treatment of pregnant women (as well as how to avoid becoming pregnant), difficulties in childbirth, and infant care immediately after birth.” “How did you incorporate the works of your predecessors?”
“We learned from Galen and Hippocrates about the four humors (blood, phlegm, yellow or red bile, and black bile), and their importance in maintaining a balance for good health. They also taught us about menstruation, and the importance of a regular cycle. In my work, I outlined the causes and treatments for the various diseases that can cause these cycles to become irregular.”
“Did you favor an aggressive course of treatment?”
“Heavens no! Those quacks with their violent purges and their unnecessary surgeries! They probably took more lives than they saved! I advocated less radical treatments like baths, ointments, natural medicines and massages. Many of my treatments are still in use in your time." (she points at you) “So you are opposed to surgeries, then?”
“Quite the contrary. I am opposed to ‘unnecessary’ surgeries. In fact, I developed a new surgical technique to repair a ruptured perineum. This was a tremendous problem that often occurred during delivery. I also developed a method for determining the sex of a baby before it was born.” “Oh? How did you accomplish that?” “It was simple. I would take a sample of the mother’s blood, or breast milk if possible, and place it in a glass of water. If the fluid sank, the baby would be a boy.” (Dr. Curie smothers a snicker.) “Look, Marie, I was working with the knowledge we had at the time. We didn’t have the tools available today, and a baby’s gender was important to parents a thousand years ago, just as it is today!” “You’re right, of course. I apologize for my outburst.” “It’s quite alright. It is just always a good idea to remember that science is an ever-evolving process. Someone has to take the first step so that people, like you, can follow up on our theories with research of your own. Otherwise, science would never advance, and you wouldn’t have your beloved Nobel prizes.” “Quite right. Is there anything else you can tell us before we go?”
“I think that’s about it. I need to get back to my work now.”
“Thank you very much for your time.”
(Dr. Curie leads you back to her office at the University of Paris)
You can either: Bibliography Ogilvie, Marilyn and Harvey, Joy, eds., The Biographical Dictionary of Women in Science. New York: Routledge, 2000.
Green, Monica, ed. And trans., The Trotula: A Compendium of Women’s Medicine. Philadelphia: University of Pennsylvania Press, 2001.
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