Approaches to treatment and prevention Flashcards
what treatment was the most common to treat for the imbalance of humours
bloodletting - bad humours removed from body through blood
what methods could bloodletting be performed by
- cutting vein, leeching or cupping
who was bloodletting normally performed by
- occasionally physicians
- such common practice that usually barber surgeons, wise women , non-medical people
what was another method to balance the humours (not bloodletting)
purging
how was purging believed to work
- believed that humours were created by the food eaten
- make patient vomit or clear out of body on toilet
what was given to make a patient vomit and how did it work
Emetics - strong bitter herbs , sometimes contained poisons
what was given to make a patient poop
laxatives - linseed
give 4 religious and supernatural preventions
- Living a Christian life - praying, going to Church, obeying the Commandments
- Chanting incantations (spells)
- Carrying lucky charms / amulets
- Self punishment - Flagellation - punishing yourself so God wouldn’t
give 6 rational methods of disease prevention
- trying to keep streets clean
- Bathing + washing
- Purifying the air - free from miasma
- Exercising
- Not overeating
- Bleeding + purging
give 4 religious treatments
- Praying (healing prayers_
- Fasting
- Pilgrimage - to tombs of people known for healing powers
- paying for a special Mass to be said
give an example of a supernatural treatment
hanging magpie around neck to cure toothache
what traditional remedies where present
- most common remedies made of herbs - were drunk, sniffed or bathed in –> theriaca
- different foods to re-balance humours –> blanc mangier : chicken + almonds
- ointments to apply to skin
what was the loose set of instructions provided by physicians to maintain good health called
regimen sanitas
what methods where done to purify the air
- carrying posy
- spreading sweet herbs - lavender
- pomander - posy placed in large lock worn at the waist
what were the 3 types of medieval medics available
- physicians
- barber surgeons
- apothecaries
4 qualities of physicians
- medically trained at university + passed exams
- diagnosed illnesses + gave treatments, or sent patients to apothecary or barber surgeons
- expensive, mainly used by the wealthy
- very few of them - women physicians incredibly rare
4 qualities of barber surgeons
- no training
- carried out bloodletting, pulling teeth, lancing boils , cut hair
- basic surgery of amputating limbs (very low success rate)
- Cost less than physician
3 qualities of apothecaries
- received training but no medical qualifications
- mixed medicines + ointments based on own knowledge or directions of a physician
- Cost money (but less than a physician)
most Medieval people would have been treated by who
- female family member
- village ‘wise woman’, often the Lady of the Manor would tend to people in their homes for free
what did physicians do
- observed symptoms, checked pulse, skin colour + urine (both for colour + tasted)
- sample of patients urine, –> consulted urine chartsin their **vademecum* (handbook)
- consulted astrological charts to help diagnose patient + work out treatment (birthday + ill day)
- either treated patients themselves (rare) , sent to barber surgeons / apothecary
what were medical hospitals purpose and esp for whom
- offer hospitality - rest + recover
- where travellers + pilgrims stayed on their journeys
did the number of hospitals rise during the Middle Ages
yes
how many hospitals where there by 1500
1,100
what percentage of hospitals where run and owned by the Church
around 30% - ran by monks + nuns in nearby monasteries
