Medicine Flashcards
What did Galen have to rely on to further his knowledge?
Dissection of animals e.g. Monkeys
What were galen’s errors?
He said one kidney was higher than the other
The jaw was made from two bones fused together rather than one bone
Blood flowed between the two halves of the heart through a semi permeable membrane
What was Galen correct about?
The nervous system takes messages from the brain to the muscles
Urine was made in the kidneys
Why and how did the church promote Galen’s work in the Middle Ages?
Monks translated Galen’s books back into English. Galen suggested the body was perfectly designed as if by creator- this was similar to what the Christians believed so they promoted his work
Describe the training of doctors in roman times
There was no compulsory training. Doctors would often purchase Galen’s books and work from those
What were the causes of disease in the roman times?
- an imbalance of the humours
- god (apollo) punishing sinners
- miasma
- Varro blamed creatures too small to be seen (superstitious)
What were the treatments of disease in roman times?
- blood letting
- praying to gods
- herbal remedies
- exercise, diet to keep the body physically fit and healthy
- theory of opposites
Name some of the factors of public health during the roman times
- public fountains for drinking and washing
- bath houses for washing and exercise
- sewers carries away waste from houses, latrines and baths
- forts had their own bath houses and water supply
- strigil to scrape muck from the skin
- taxes collected to pay for public health systems
- aqueducts to carry fresh water into towns
What were some of the disadvantages of roman public health ?
Lead pipes were used which could poison some people
What were hospitals like in roman times?
Light, airy and spacious. Often 4 beds to a ward and there could be up to 60 wards
What was treatment focused on in roman hospitals ?
Making the patient better, rather than just caring for them. Treatments often focused on prioritising the health of soldiers
Who was the Paterfamilias?
The father of the family who was expected to provide and care for the family
Who were Medici?
Military nurses - skilled surgeons
How did civilisation in England fall apart after the Romans left?
- the Britons left Behring could not read the Latin books left by the romans
- there was no strong king, many kingdoms formed but none were rich enough to build public health systems or universities
- communications were dangerous and difficult, so ideas travelled slowly
What were the causes of disease in the Middle Ages/medieval times?
- 4 humours (promoted by the church)
- Miasma, although now it seemed the air was distorted by the planets (astrology)
- god gave it as punishments
- witches
- people who were culturally different e.g. Jews
- earthquakes and volcanic eruptions thought to infect the air
How did things begin to improve in 1500?
Universities were established , e.g. Paris (1110) and oxford (1167)
How was medical advancement hard in the Middle Ages/medieval times?
- the church forbade dissection and encouraged prayer and superstition instead
- church encouraged the use of galens ideas
- lack of resources to build public health systems
- social disorder and war made communication and learning hard to do
When was Salerno made?
10th century
How were lectures in the Middle Ages not very useful?
A butcher would stand and point at parts of the body while the lecturer read a text by an authoritative source
How did people in the Middle Ages/medieval times looks after themselves or recognise health was important ?
- the doctor alderotti advised people to stretch their limbs, wash their face, exercise and clean their teeth
- the popes doctor realised the importance of a good diet
- monasteries developed wash rooms, latrines with running sewers and fresh water
What happened in the Middle Ages that hadn’t happened since the roman times?
The first hospitals were built , e.g St Bartholemews in London
What was Vademecum?
‘Go with me’ - a urine chart which examined the colour smell and taste of the patients urine which helped a doctor guess what they might be suffering from
How did the training of doctors improve in the later Middle Ages?
Doctors had to train at universities and study for 7 years, then pass a verbal exam in order to become a doctor
How did doctors balance the 4 humours?
Blood letting, leeching, purging, taking hot baths, applying cool water
How did superstition increase throughout the Middle Ages?
Monarchs thought that by touching people with the kings evil (scrofula) they would be able to cure them.
People also used flagellation to show god how sorry they were for their sins.
What were leechbooks?
Documents written with recipes for hundreds of herbal remedies
Who took over the treatment for poorer classes in the medieval times?
Wise women. They treated with herbal remedies.
Women were also responsible for child birth.
What was a bezoar?
A stone found in the stomach of a goat used in herbal rememdies to treat disease
How did the church split up the role of hospitals?
- 47% of the church cared for the old or dying
- 31% cared for leapers, but couldn’t treat them
- 10% cared for the sick
What were the conditions in hospitals like during medieval times?
Cramped and dirty
Who were responsible for care in hospitals during Middle Ages / medieval times?
Nuns, monks and priests.
Describe the training of doctors in Middle Ages/ medieval times
- schools of medicine set up such as Salerno which has lectures on anatomy
- Padua university suggested doctors should visit the sick during training
- doctors still trained to use Galens teachings on 4 humours and blood letting
- new writings of Muslim doctors (rhazes) became available
What were apothecaries?
They had no medical training but still sold medicines and groceries
Why was the renaissance called the rebirth ?
Western civilisation experienced a process of profound change
How did artists revolutionise medicine?
They studied the body in more detail when painting, leading to improved knowledge on anatomy
When was the royal science society set up ?
1660 (by educated people who wished to discuss new ideas)
Why was the role of the church less significant in the renaissance period?
Due to the rise of science and experimentation. People were starting move away from he Catholic Church due to Henry VIII
When was the invention of the printing press and why was it important?
The mid 15th century - it meant that printed copies of the works of significant people could be produced for others quickly and cheaply
The renaissance period saw advances in theory but not …
Practice
Who were the people that other people turned to for medical advice in the renaissance period?
Country doctors - lower fees than town doctors but less training
Apothecaries- no medical training but sold medicine and groceries
Quacks - sold medicine for money, pulled out teeth
Wise women, local witches
What did the introduction of forceps mean in the renaissance period?
Males were now in charge of birth
