Medicine In Medieval England c1250 - 1500 Flashcards
Define Malnutrition
An illness caused by lack of food
Define Leprosy
Skin disease, followed by paralysis and death
Define diagnosing
Looking at symptoms to decide what is wrong with a patient
Define Physician
Another name for a doctor
Define Vivisection
Criminals who were dissected alive
Define Scourge
Something that causes great suffering
Define Flagellants
A group who punished themselves during the Black Death in the hope that God would take pity
Define Quarantine
Separating the sick from the healthy
State 4 theories about the cause of disease
1) Astrology
2) Religion
3) The Four Humours Theory
4) Miasmas
Explain why religion was a cause of disease
1) People were very religious and most were Catholic
2) They turned to the church for answers
3) They thought sins would be punished by God and the devil could send disease
4) Leprocy was a disease sent by God
Explain why Astrology was a cause of disease
1) The alignment of the stars and planets was important in diagnosing illness.
2) Star charts would be used by physicians.
3) Astrology was a supernatural explanation for disease
Describe the 4 humours theory as a cause of disease
1) It was an idea from Hippocrates in Ancient Greek times
2) Stated that the world was made up of 4 different elements and the body was made up of 4 different humours
3) The humours were: Blood, Phlegm, Black bile, yellow bile
4) Galen developed this idea further and invented the theory of opposites
Explain the theory of opposites and who created it
1) It was created by Galen
2) A fever could be cured with cucumbers (cooling)
3) Anything hot could be cured by something cool and vise-versa
Describe Miasmas as a cause of disease
1) Miasmas = Bad air filled with harmful fumes
2) Both Hippocrates and Galen said swamps, corpses and other rotting matter could transit disease
3) Medieval physicians called it ‘Corruption of the air’
Describe diagnosis illness
1) Many Medieval doctors carried a ‘Vademecum’ book of diagnoses and a urine chart
2) They could then made on-the-spot guesses as to the problem with the patient
Define Vademecum
1) Means ‘Go-with-me’ book of diagnoses, used to diagnose disease
State 4 reasons why there was continuity of ideas in the Middle Ages
1) Hippocrates and Galen
2) The Church
3) Science and technology
4) The invention of the printing press (1440)
Describe Hippocrates and Galen in terms of continuity of ideas in the Middle Ages
1) Students were taught old ideas, instead of practical experience
2) They were favoured by the Church, especially the 4 humours idea
Describe The church in terms of continuity of ideas in the Middle Ages
1) The Church did not like change and wanted to keep things as they were
2) They controlled the education!
3) Books were often produced by Monks and this was the only way (+ talking) to deliver information so it was biased on their views
Describe science and technology in terms of continuity of ideas in the Middle Ages
1) There was a lack of scientific evidence
2) Dissections were illegal because of the church so practical testing limited
3) printing press didn’t come into action until the Renaissance period
State 4 treatments and preventions
1) The supernatural
2) Herbal remedies and bathing
3) 4 humours - bleeding
4) 4 humours - purging
Describe the supernatural in terms of treatment and prevention
1) If the cause of illness was God, then God could cure illness too.
2) People could cure illnesses by: Prayers and spells
Praying and spells
Fasting
Charms and amulets
Doing nothing - If God had sent the disease to clean the soul, then it was important to let it run its course!
Describe Herbal remedies and bathing in terms of treatment and prevention
1) Common ingredients included mint, camomile, almonds, saffron, absinthe and turpentine. Some of these were expensive and hard to find
2) ‘Theriaca’ was a spice mixture which was popularised by Galen
3) Warm baths were prescribed to prevent ill-balance of the 4 humours
Define Phlebotomy
Bloodletting (fancy version ;))
