Soigner la mauvaise mémoire à l’époque moderne

Abstract

In the early modern period, poor memory was taken care of through a consistent medical discourse, which framed it in terms of humoral imbalance and prescribed external treatments and diets. However, the ”medicalization” process undercome by memory was unfinished, because the resistance of the human nature, according to several authors, made impossible a true therapy, because other ways of reform, through, among other things, the ”arts of memory“ were proposed to individuals, and because the very idea of improving the memory did not seem always relevant. This thwarted use of care was an invitation for the individuals to cope with their intellectuals abilities and to use other technics, more conventional but more effective.

Keywords

• memory
• art of memory
• diet
• mnemotechnics
• medical consultations