c1250-c1500- Middle Ages Flashcards
what was the main belief for cause of illness in the middle ages?
God testing their faith or punishing them
what were astrological beliefs about causes of illness
alignment of the stars and planets caused diseases
after what event did belief in astrological causes of illness increase?
the black death
why was God as a cause of illness a hinderance to progression in medicine?
people believed and trusted God so did not question it
who were the groups of people who could read and write in this time?
monks and preists
where were most books kept?
monasteries
how did the church control what people read?
only religious figures such as priests and monks could read and write so ordinary people couldn’t write their own ideas or read about others and all the important books were kept in monasteries meaning they could control what was read by people
whos ideas did the church support?
Galen’s
why were galens ideas supported by the church?
Galens ideas fitted christian beliefs that the body had a soul and had been created by God
what were disections like in these times?
not common but performed in universities and used to teach galens theories
how did the church control education?
universities were set up and run by the church and was the centre of formal learning
how would the church tackle contradicting evidance to galens theories?
ignoring them
what were the christians attitude to the sick?
care for them like jesus wanted
where were most hospitals located?
nunneries and monasteries
what was the belief of 4 humours?
ancient Greek idea that everyone has a mix of 4 humours in their body and illness came from an unbalance in this mix
what were the four humours?
blood, phlegm, black bile, yellow bile
what was the theory of opposites?
Galens development of the 4 humours theory suggesting that you should use treatments based on the opposite of their symptoms
what were the treatments for getting rid of excess humours
blood letting and purging
who was Galen?
Greek doctor who developed hipprocrates ideas. he wrote lots of books and drew anatomical diagrams
who was hippocrates?
an ancient Greek doctor who was very influential but dismissed the idea that God caused disease as he believed there was a physical reason.
what were most of hippocrates treatments based on?
exercise, rest and diet
what was the hippocratic oath?
doctors swear an oath to respect life snd prevent harm
whst part of hippocrates’ methods are still used today?
his method of clinical observation: studying symptoms then comparing them to other cases then diagnosing and treating.
what was the theory of miasma?
“bad air” caused disease- this related to god as bad air was said to indicate sin
what was the most common treatment for an imbalance in humours?
blood letting
methods of blood letting and who performed them
leeching, cutting veins and cupping- performed by barber surgeons or non medical people
what was purging and who gave it to patients?
involved a patient vomiting or going to the toilet to remove food from the body- emetics and laxatives given by apothecaries wised women or people at home
different methods of supernatural illness prevention (4)
lucky charms
christian lifestyle
chants
self punishment
different methods of rational prevention of illness (6)
keep the streets clean
purifying air
bleeding/purging
not overeating
exercise
bathing/washing
what did traditional remedies consist of
made of herbs that were drunk, sniffed, rubbed or bathed into the skin and included different foods to balance humours
religious treatments for illness (4)
praying
fasting
going on a pilgramidge
paying for a special mass to be said
supernatural treatments (1 example)
specific for each illness- hanging a magpies beak around your neck to cure toothache
who were barber surgeons? what did they do?
no training
pulled teeth, bloodletting, lancing boils as well as cutting hair
basic amputation surgery
cheaper than physician
who were apothecaries and what did they do?
some training but no qualifications
mixed medicines and ointments based on own knowledge or directions from a physician
cheaper than physician but more than barber surgeons
what did physicians do?
medically trained at universities
diagnosed and perscribed treatments or sent patient to an apothecary or barber surgeon
expensive
very few of them, rarely women
what was care in the home like?
majority treated this way by female family member
village ‘wise woman’ would come to peples homes for free to care for them
what did physicians do to determine an illness?
checked skin colour, pulse and urine (colour and taste)
used urine charts in their handbook
used zodiac charts to diagnose
and then treat or (more commonly) send them to get treatment accordingly
what were hospitals like in the middle ages? (7)
place where travelers stayed on journeys
people with infectious diseases not admitted
very clean surroundings
places of restoration rather than treatment
plenty of food and rest
some hospitals built for specific infectious diseases
run by church
how did the number of hospitals change in the middle ages?
the number increased
when was the black death
1348-9
what caused the black death?
today we believe it was caused by disease carrying fleas living on black rats brought to england on trading ships. The illness is obtained when they are bitten.
what fraction of the population did the black death kill?
1/3
how did people thing the black death was caused? (6)
religion
astrology
miasma
volcanoes
four humours
outsiders
how did people try to avoid the black death? (6)
praying and fasting to punish themselves
cleaning the streets
smelling bad smells to overcome the plague
lighting a fire, letting birds fly round the room to keep air moving
carrying herbs and spices
not letting strangers into the village
how did people think religion was the cause of the black death
god sent the plague as punishment for sins
why did people think astrology was a cause of the BD
the position of mars, saturn and jupiter were unusual at this time
why did people think miasma was the cause of the BD
decaying rubbish caused bad smells
why did people think that volcanoes were responsible for the BD
poisonous gasses were emitted from volcanoes and earthquakes and carried in the air
why did people think the four humours was the reason for BD
generally most people thought this was the cause for all disease
why did people think outsiders caused BD
they thought strangers or witches had caused the disease
what were symptoms of the black death? (4)
large buboes filled with pus
fever and chills
headache
vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain
treatments for the BD? (4)
prayer and lucky charms
drain buboes
holding bread on buboes and the burying it
eating cool food and taking cold bathds
