Influence of the medieval church on medical knowledge Flashcards
many hospitals were founded because …
the Christian Church believed in following the example of Jesus, who healed the sick, so Christians believed it was good to look after the sick
the Christian Church approved of Galen’s ideas because …
he believed in a single God, which fitted with Christian ideas
two ancient individuals who influenced medieval medicine
Galen 129AD - 216AD
Hippocrates 480BC - 370BC
it was difficult to challenge Galen’s ideas because …
it would also be seen as a criticism of the Church
example of punishment for criticising Galen’s ideas
13th century English monk, Roger Bacon
arrested for suggesting that doctors should do original research and not trust the old books
Christians believed that illness came from …
God, as a punishment or test of character
Christian approach to treating patients
CARE, NOT CURE
curing an illness was seen as challenging God, who had sent the illness as a punishment or test of character
therefore it was important to care for a patient but not cure them
3 different types of hospital
asylums for the mentally ill eg. Bedlam, London
Lazar houses for people who had leprosy, set up outside of towns to prevent people from catching the contagious disease
monasteries with infirmaries (small dormitory wards) that provided free care to the poor
ancient medical ideas were preserved by …
monks, who studied these ideas and copied out the books by hand
Christians believed that the most important treatment was …
praying to God
the famous twelfth-century Christian monk said that …
“to buy drugs or to consult with physicians doesn’t fit with religion”
in Europe the training of doctors began after …
1200
in England, medical universities such as Oxford and Cambridge were controlled by …
the Church
medical students in universities were taught …
the medical ideas of the ancient Greeks and Romans
the training was to make old knowledge clear and understandable, not to discover new ideas
hospitals were mainly financed by …
the Christian church or by a wealthy person
