medieval britain

small beer

weak beer, cheapest drink at the time

pottage

stew with onions, peas, beans

ergotism

the disease they got from infected rye

st anthonys fire

this is what they called ergotism (they wanted St Anthony to save them and it caused a burning sensation)

cesspit

hole where human faeces stored

cathole

shallow pit, faeces and covered back up

luttrel psalter

book with drawings of medieval life

gongfermer

empty the cesspits and take the faeces away from london

muckraker

rakes muck from the streets and takes it away from london

conduit

water source, stream/fountain through town (sometimes also where people disposed of faeces)

richard whittington

mayor of london, donated money for hospitals, drainage, latrines, etc