Лепра у српским средњовековним земљама

Abstract

Предмет рада је појава лепрозне заразе (губе) на простору српских средњовековних земаља, однос српских владара према лепрознима, постојање и начин организовања лепрозоријума као установа за изоловање заражених у градским срединама, као и присуство лепрозних у манастирским прихватилиштима намењеним особама са трајним телесним манама и оболелима од хроничних болести. Такође, сагледана је клиничка слика лепре на основу писаних извора и ликовних представа лепрозних, као и постојање одређених терапија за лечење губе.

In the Middle Ages, on the territory of Serbian lands, leprosy (guba, prokaza) was one of the most common infectious diseases, mentioned in preserved written sources since the second half of the twelfth century. Serbian rulers took special care of the lepers. In medieval Serbia there were two types of institutions for isolating lepers. In monastic shelters (lat. hospitalium), for people with permanent physical disabilities and the chronically ill, there were departments for accommodation and isolation of lepers, as it was the case with the Chilandar monastery, a hospital near Dečani, as well as the Benedictine abbey of St. Mary of Ratac near Bar. On the other hand, leprosariums were special institutions for accommodation and isolation of lepers that were established in the immediate vicinity of urban settlements. An institition of this type existed in Kotor, while in the Bosnian state leprosariums were established next to almost every Franciscan monastery. The description of the clinical picture of leprosy in Serbian medieval written sources, as well as the presentation of lepers in Serbian fresco paintings, indicate certain types of leprosy disease. The writings of Serbian medieval medicine also contain several recipes for the treatment and alleviation of leprosy