Art of Uromancy, 1890s
Entitled: "Excellent! Excellent! Superb!" shows a physician, near a sick patient's bedside, sniffs the contents of a chamber pot, which is held at arms length by a chambermaid. In ancient Rome, peering into the chamber pot fell not only within the domain of medical diagnosis, but soon became entertainment as well. The art of uromancy, the study of urine for purposes of divination, appeared during this time. Like their medical counterparts, uromancers swirled, studied and even tasted people's urine in the hopes of providing them with a peek into their future. By the Middle Ages, the Catholic Church had emerged as the most powerful force in Europe. From the sixth century until the Renaissance, the Church limited physicians' options considerably. With doctors prohibited from touching certain parts of patients or even seeing patients unclothed, bodily fluids that could be passed discretely from behind a screen soon became the sole method of diagnosis, especially for women. Engraving by Gustave Frison, 1890s.
Size: 3290px × 4200px
Photo credit: © Photo Researchers / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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