paper

Ingredients

paper

Evidence

"Furthermore, the cost of paper declined, leading to the production of cheaper books that were more accessible to a broader range of the population."

Remarks

The author notes that from the late fourteenth century onwards, specifically between 1375 and 1500, the decline in the cost of paper was a crucial factor in the 'explosion of vernacular collections' (p. 8-9). This material shift facilitated the production of 'cheaper books' which became increasingly accessible to a wider range of the population, particularly among merchants and artisans who engaged in both the commercial market and amateur book production for personal use (p. 8-9). The increase in vernacular medical texts was dramatic, with six times as many surviving English medical writings from the fifteenth century compared to the fourteenth (p. 9).