ABSTRACT
Geoffrey Chaucer (c.1343-1400) was a man of many talents and interests. He was not formally trained in medicine but was aware of the medical climate of the day. Physicians were not necessarily esteemed by their patients but rather tolerated as the best available medical resource, though not all would agree fully with this judgment. Chaucer’s “physik,” or physician, as we would call him today, portrays a classic medieval doctor. 1 It is evident from his characterization that Chaucer was well aware of the many aspects of medieval medicine, as well as the professionals who practiced it.
