Cause of Disease Flashcards
What did the Roman’s believe caused disease?
> Punishment from the Gods
Miasma (bad air / swamps)
Imbalance of the four humours
What theory did Hippocrates develop?
The Theory of the Four Humours
What was the Theory of the Four Humours?
That a body which had the correct balance of blood, phlegm, black bile and yellow bile was healthy.
An unbalance of a humour caused disease.
What did the Romans believe about keeping clean?
They valued cleanliness as they believed dirt caused disease however they did not know why.
What did people in the Middle Ages believe caused disease?
> Punishment from God (just the one, Catholic)
Misalignment of the planets / stars (zodiac)
Miasma
Imbalance of four humours
How had beliefs on the cause of disease changed between Ancient Rome and the Middle Ages?
Not much - but didn’t value cleanliness as much
Still followed Hippocrates (and Galen)
How was the Black Death ACTUALLY spread?
Fleas on rats
PEOPLE DID NOT KNOW THIS + thought it was other reasons
What did people in the Renaissance believe caused disease?
> Imbalance of the four humours
Miasma
Planets out of line
What had changed in the belief of the cause of disease from the Middle ages to the Renaissance?
They valued old texts so they focused more on the work of Hippocrates and Galen and there was a decreasing focus on the church.
However, not much progress in actual understanding despite technological advancements.
What did the microscope allow people to see?
Germs - called them animacules
Why did the discovery of “animacules” not help understanding of the cause of disease?
Because people did not make the link between animacules and disease.
