The subject of Anglo-Saxon medicine has been the focus of considerable detailed study over the past half-century. However, there has been a paucity of literature examining the practitioners of this medical practice, namely the physicians. This article attempts to elucidate the role of physicians in Anglo-Saxon England, a subject that has remained largely obscure. While there is a paucity of definitive evidence concerning these practitioners in the extant sources, we are fortunate to have a greater degree of access to material about their counterparts in continental Europe. This affords us the opportunity to undertake a comparative analysis between physicians in Anglo-Saxon England and those in continental Europe. Through this comparison, we can, albeit with some difficulty, gain insights into the activities of physicians in Anglo-Saxon England.

In the Anglo-Saxon period, the term used for physicians was ‘leech’ or ‘leace’. It would be erroneous to assume that physicians were merely experts in the treatment of a specific disease. They were required to treat a wide range of illnesses, injuries and their associated symptoms. Additionally, they were tasked with addressing the enduring challenges of their era, including food insecurity, pandemics and interpersonal violence. Some illustrations of leeches or physicians in action have survived to the present day. The available evidence does not suggest that physicians had the same grooming practices as the clergy, as evidenced by the presence of both clean-shaven and bearded figures in these drawings. Furthermore, their attire is consistent with the typical garb of the era, exhibiting no distinctive medical attire as seen in the late Middle Ages. These activities demonstrate that, in addition to the monastic physicians who were confined to the monastery, there was a cohort of lay physicians who provided care to the general population. This study presents an original investigation into the work of physicians in Anglo-Saxon England, referred to as ‘leech’ in the relevant historical sources.

Physician, surgeon, Anglo-Saxon, England, Leech.