2. Renaissance Medicine (c.1500–1700)

Question 1

What significant shift occurred in medical ideas during the Renaissance period?

Answer 1

Rejection of supernatural causes

This marked a move towards empirical and scientific approaches in medicine.

Question 2

Who authored ‘Fabric of the Human Body’ in 1543, and what was its significance?

Answer 2

Andreas Vesalius; it provided accurate anatomy through dissections

Vesalius’s work laid the foundation for modern anatomy.

Question 3

What did William Harvey discover in 1628?

Answer 3

Blood circulation, proving the heart pumps blood

This discovery was pivotal for understanding the cardiovascular system.

Question 4

What treatments were still in use during the Renaissance, continuing from the medieval period?

Answer 4

Bloodletting, herbal remedies

These practices reflect the transitional phase in medical treatments.

Question 5

What invention in the 1440s significantly contributed to the spread of medical knowledge?

Answer 5

Printing Press

This allowed for wider distribution of medical texts and ideas.

Question 6

What was established in 1660 to encourage scientific research in medicine?

Answer 6

Royal Society

The Royal Society played a crucial role in promoting scientific collaboration.

Question 7

How did hospitals change during the Renaissance period?

Answer 7

Improved but still focused on care, not cures

Hospitals were primarily places for care rather than active treatment.

Question 8

What public health measures were taken during the Great Plague of 1665?

Answer 8

Quarantine, fumigation, less reliance on supernatural

These measures reflected a more rational approach to epidemics.