Medicine in Medieval England Flashcards
What were the religious beliefs towards illness in Medieval England?
Illness was punishment for sins
Why did many people believe that illness was caused by God or the Devil in Medieval England?
Because the Catholic Church was so powerful
What did many Doctors consult when diagnosing illness in Medieval England?
Star charts
Why did Doctors consult star charts in Medieval England?
Believed that constellations of stars/movement of planets could affect a person’s health
Miasma
The idea that bad smells were breathed in and made people ill
What was miasma caused by?
Poisonous vapours in the air
Theory of the Four _______
Humours
Name 3 of the four humours
Any 3 from blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile
In the name the four humours, what is meant by the world “humours”?
Liquids
The theory of the four humours was an Ancient _____ belief
Greek
What did the theory of the four humours mean?
If the four humours were out of balance, this would make someone ill
What was yellow bile?
Vomit
What was black bile?
Probably blood in vomit
What were the religious treatments in Medieval England?
Praying and going on a pilgrimage to a religious shrine
Why did lots of ill people pray in Medieval England?
They believed it would show God that they were sorry for their sins and should not be punished
True/False: Doctors consulted zodiac charts when deciding how to treat a patient
True, they would decide how to treat, or not to treat, certain parts of the body based on the positions of stars and planets
Why did people in Medieval England try to avoid bad smells?
Because of the theory of miasma.
How would people in Medieval England try and avoid bad smells?
By holding something like a posy of flowers or a cloth containing herbs in front of their face so the nice smell prevented the bad smell from being breathed in
What was the Theory of Opposites?
A theory that stated if a body’s humours were out of balance then an ‘opposite’ treatment would make them better
Who made the theory of opposites?
Galen, he had written a book in Ancient Roman times
According to the Theory of Opposites, what should someone do if they have a runny nose/cold?
They should eat something such as pepper - as hot and spicy food makes people’s noses run they thought this was removing excess phlegm therefore getting back into ‘balance’
Give 3 of the four main types of medicine in Medieval England.
Any 3 from warming, cooling, moistening and drying
Where did lots of medical knowledge in Medieval England come from?
Ancient Greek books by Hippocrates and Galen
Why did people take urine samples in Medieval England?
To examine the urine when it was warm and cold, smell it and check it against a urine chart
What kind of things did people observe when trying to diagnose patients in Medieval England?
Take urine samples, examine blood, take patient’s pulse and examine someone’s excrement
True/False: the theory of opposites was not used to treat patients in Medieval England.
False
What “v___ m____” was the name for books that were used to treat patients in Medieval England?
vane mecum
Did vane mecum contain urine charts?
Yes
Did vane mecum contain zodiac charts?
Yes
What treatment included in vane mecum consisten of use of leeches?
Bleeding to reduce excess or ‘bad’ blood. This was very common. Sometimes, instead of a leech, a vein would be cut and the blood collected in a bowl
Why was purging a recommended treatment in Medieval England?
To reduce excess bile.
What would doctors give patients to make them vomit up excess bile?
An emetic
What was an enema in Medieval England?
A liquid mixture squirted up a patient’s bottom to make them go to the toilet
Enemas were used by doctors and ____________
Apothecaries
How many trained physicians were there in 1300?
Only 100 in England
What kind of advice did wealthy clients get on staying healthy to prevent illness in Medieval England?
Regular washing, cleaning teeth, combing hair, exercise and bathing
What method beginning with an R was available only for the rich about living a healthy life in Medieval England?
Regimen Sanitatis
Who did the Regimen Sanitatis method come from?
Hippocrates and Galen
What was Regimen Sanitatis?
A Set of instructions from physicians that told patients how they should live a healthy life
Give 3 things Regimen Sanitatis advised patients?
Any 3 from not to overeat, take regular exercise, get lots of sleep, breathe clean air, don’t live too close to animals and regular purging of the bowels. Also regular washing including visits to a public bathhouse
How were the rich advised to regularly purge their bowels?
By taking laxatives or having enemas
Who were most people treated by in Medieval England?
Women
What were some women known as in Medieval England?
‘wise women’
What did ‘wise women’ have knowledge about?
Herbal remedies
True/False: Apothecaries were extremely unpopular
False, they were very popular
What was the Leechbook of Bald?
A book that Apothecaries sometimes consulted. Leach means healer
What did Apothecaries make medicines from?
Plants and herbs
True/False: Apothecaries sometimes gave herbal/plant remedies made from wine and honey
True
Did Apothecaries’ medicines have any success?
Some had some success (garlic can kill bacteria, poppies and willow can help reduce pain
How did Apothecaries treat warts?
With a toad
How did Apothecaries treat boils?
With half a freshly killed pigeon
How did Apothecaries treat fainting?
With the smoke from burnt feathers
How did Apothecaries treat toothache?
With a candle - held by the tooth to make worms fall out the tooth
Did barber surgeons study at university?
No - trained as apprentices through observing others
What did barber surgeons do?
They would cut hair and shave people, but also do minor surgery
True/False: Barber Surgeons did NOT use any antiseptic or anaesthetic
True, no antiseptic or anaesthetic were used
What kind of surgery did barber surgeons do?
Tooth extractions, boil lancing, bleeding, setting broken bones and even amputations
True/False: All towns had clean drinking water in Medieval England
False, some towns tried to through pipes and public latrines to try and reduce the amount of filth
Latrines
Toilets
Who did some towns employ to clean the streets?
Rakers and people to empty cesspits of human waste
What problem did towns have involving waste and manure?
Waste from slaughterhouses and horse manure littered the streets because the main method of transport was horse and cart
Why were monasteries very important places in Medieval England?
Had copies of books by Hippocrates and Galen
Were anaesthetic and antiseptic used in Medieval England?
No
What areas of the body did surgeons in Medieval England focus on?
The surface of the body or repairing wounds
Why were the royal surgeon and surgeons employed by the army more skilled?
Because of their experience
How did King Henry V’s surgeon remove an arrow from his head?
Used honey and clean linen to dress the wound and prevent infection
Who were hospitals ran by in Medieval England?
Monks and nuns
How many hospitals did the Catholic Church build in the 13th Century?
160
Why did the Catholic Church build so many hospitals in the 13th Century?
To look after patient’s spirituality - it was believed this was the path to better help
Who did Hospitals in Medieval England care for?
Pregnant women, elderly people, orphans, disabled people and travellers
True/False: In Medieval England, if someone was really ill they would go to hospital
False, they would be cared for at home by family or neighbours
What were the main treatments in hospitals in Medieval England?
Praying and being taught about the bible
Why were private hospitals set up in Medieval England?
For guild members and those who could afford to pay for a bed
Was there any real treatment in private hospitals in Medieval England?
No
Lazars
Leper hospitals
What were leper hospitals for?
Leprosy victims
Leprosy
Caused a person’s skin, toes and fingers to be eaten away and it was a slow and painful death
What was the religious attitude towards leprosy in Medieval England?
This was evidence of a punishment from God
What did leper hospitals do in Medieval England?
Didn’t treat the victims - only provided meals and a bed
Why were leper hospitals build on the edge of towns?
To keep lepers away from the towns
Who were almshouses built for?
Pregnant women, the poor, sick and elderly
What treatment did almshouses offer?
Monks gave herbal remedies and the main form of treatment was prayer- offered no real treatment
Who were almshouses built by?
The Church
Why did almshouses offer no real treatment?
Believed only God could heal
