He became known for creating a “rose pill,” an herbal lozenge made of rosehips (rich in vitamin C) that provided some relief for patients with mild cases of the plague. He didn’t bleed his patients, instead practicing effective hygiene and encouraging the removal of the infected corpses from city streets. Nostradamus developed some very progressive methods for dealing with the plague. There was no known remedy at the time most doctors relied on potions made of mercury, the practice of bloodletting and dressing patients in garlic-soaked robes. Over the next several years, Nostradamus traveled throughout France and Italy, treating victims of the plague. At this time, he Latinized his name-as was the custom of many medieval academics-from Nostradame to Nostradamus. However, most accounts state he was not expelled and received license to practice medicine in 1525. Evidently the school took a dim view of anyone who was involved in what was considered a “manual trade.” There are some reports that university officials discovered his previous experience as an apothecary and found this reason to expel him from school.

He sometimes expressed dissension with the teachings of the Catholic priests, who dismissed his notions of astrology. In 1522 he entered the University of Montpellier to complete his doctorate in medicine. According to his own account, he traveled throughout the countryside during this time, researching herbal remedies and working as an apothecary. He was forced to leave after only one year, however, due to an outbreak of the bubonic plague. EducationĪt the age of 14, Nostradame entered the University of Avignon to study medicine. It’s believed that his grandfather also introduced him to the ancient rites of Jewish tradition and the teachings of astrology, giving Nostradame his first exposure to the idea of the heavens and how they might drive human destiny. Remy, who saw great intellect and potential in his grandson.ĭuring this time, young Nostradame was taught the rudiments of Latin, Greek, Hebrew and mathematics. Early in his life, he was tutored by his maternal grandfather, Jean de St. Little is known of his childhood, but evidence indicates he was very intelligent as he quickly advanced through school. Nostradame’s grandfather, Guy Gassonet, had converted to Catholicism a half century earlier and changed the family name to Nostradame, in part to avoid persecution during the Inquisition. He was one of nine children born to Reyniere de St-Remy and her husband Jaume de Nostradame, a well-to-do grain dealer and part-time notary of Jewish descent. Nostradamus was born Michel de Nostradame on December 14 or 21, 1503, in the south of France in Saint-Remy-de-Provence. The Lost Book of Nostradamus Who Was Nostradamus?

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