c.1500 - c.1700: The Medical Renaissance Flashcards
What were the continuing ideas about causes?
- Four Humours and Theory of Opposites
- Miasma
- Religious ideas
Why did ideas about causes develop?
People were being encouraged to examine the body themselves to get their own ideas about how the body worked
What was the difference in ideas of causes between citizens and physicians?
- Citizens tended to believe in the Four Humours and Miasma more
- Physicians were starting to question ideas as they started to explore their own ideas
Was the influence of the church still as prominent?
No. Protestantism was becoming more influential so although religion was still important, they did not control medical teaching as much
When was the College of Physicians set up?
1518
What were the key parts of medical training?
- Reading books by Galen
- Studying recent medical developments
- Dissection
What did the College of Physicians encourage?
Licensing to stop the influence of Quack doctors
What was a Quack doctor?
A doctor who sold fake medicines
How did exploration affect medicine?
Newer medications could be bought back from abroad such as guaiacum for syphilis and ipecac which is an emetic
When did Henry VIII close the monasteries?
1530s
Why did the dissolution of the monasteries affect hospitals?
Many hospitals were run by the monasteries so many hospitals were shut down which was bad for people’s health
What were the monastic hospitals replaced with?
Free hospitals that were paid for by charitable donations which were run by trained physicians and focused on treatment of illnesses
Who was Vesalius?
An Italian medical professor born in 1514 that believed successful surgery would only be possible with a proper understanding of the anatomy
How did Vesalius study the anatomy closely?
He performed dissections on executed criminals
Which books did Vesalius write?
Six Anatomical Pictures - 1538
The Fabric of the Human Body - 1543
What did Vesalius influence?
- Encouraged others to question Galen
- Showed that dissection was important
Did Vesalius’ work have an immediate effect?
No. His works were distributed by the printing press but he set the foundations for further medical developments
Who was Thomas Sydenham?
A renaissance physician who worked in London
What did Sydenham believe about diagnosis?
That different types of diseases could be discovered using patient’s symptoms rather than treating the symptoms individually
What did Sydenham write?
Observationes Medicae - 1676
It was used as a textbook for 200 years and had detailed descriptions of conditions like gout to help other physicians make diagnoses
Who was William Harvey?
Worked in London at the Royal College of Physicians born in 1578
What was believed about the blood before Harvey?
- Purple blood produced in the liver and then flowing up through the veins to the rest of the body were it was consumed
- Bright red blood produced in the lungs and flowed through arteries to the body where it was consumed
What gave Harvey the comparison?
A new water pump had been invented around Harvey’s birth which gave inspiration
What did Harvey discovery?
That blood must circulate around the body
What could not have been done without Harvey’s discovery?
- Transfusions
- Complex surgery
What did Harvey show about Vesalius?
That Vesalius was right about the importance of dissection
What impact did Harvey’s discovery have?
No one believed him so took a long time for it to have an effect. Bloodletting also continued even after Harvey proved it was wrong.
When was the printing press set up?
1440
What were the effects of the printing press?
- Students in universities could have their own textbooks to study further
- New ideas could be spread more easily and quickly
- People could read what they wanted and start to question what was originally believed
When was the Royal Society set up?
1660
Why did the Royal Society have high status?
It was supported by King Charles II
What was the Royal Society’s motto?
Nullius in verba - take no-one’s world for it
What was the scientific journal released by the Royal Society?
Philosophical Transactions which allowed people to read about new inventions and discoveries
Which book did the Royal Society publish and when?
Micrographia by Robert Hook which showed drawings done using a microscope in 1665
