Medicine - Medieval Period 1250-1500

Question 1

List 4 ideas that people had about the cause of disease

Answer 1

Miasma
God
Astrology
Theory of the four humours

Question 2

List types of treatments used

Answer 2

Bloodletting
Purging
Herbal Remedies
Religious treatments

Question 3

Who came up with the theory of the Four Humours and give an explanation as to what it is?

Answer 3

Hippocrates, it is the ideology that if one of the humours were to be imbalanced then you would become ill. Common methods that were used to treat this are bleeding and purging.

Question 4

Who came up with the Theory of Opposites and what was it?

Answer 4

Galen, the concept that if you were ill and had a fever ,for example, in order to feel cooler you would eat a cucumber and visa versa.

Question 5

List 3 kinds of prevention methods

Answer 5

Exercising
Purifying air
Flagellation
Living a Christian life
Carrying pomanders

Question 6

Who cared for the sick in the medieval period?

Answer 6

Barber surgeons
Women
Monks/Nuns
Apothecaries
Physicians

Question 7

When was the Black Death?

Answer 7

1348

Question 8

What did people do to stop them from getting the Black Death?

Answer 8

Praying
Cleaning the streets
Carry pomanders

Question 9

What was the name for advice on how to maintain a healthy lifestyle?

Answer 9

Regimen Sanitatis

Question 10

What was the main job of the apothecary?

Answer 10

To mix herbal remedies (sometimes prescribed by Physicians). The role was often passed down to family members

Question 11

What did Barber Surgeons do?

Answer 11

Performed minor operations such as bloodletting, purging, teeth removal and haircuts.

Question 12

What was a pomander and what was it used for?

Answer 12

A pomander is a piece of jewellery designed to prevent miasma causing illness by smelling sweet. (purify the air)

Question 13

List 3 factors why there was little change in medical knowledge in this period?

Answer 13

Lack of technology
The church
Attitudes and beliefs

Question 14

Name 2 commonly used herbal remedies

Answer 14

Blanc Mangier
Theriaca

Question 15

What did society think caused the Black Death?

Answer 15

God, to punish sin of the world

Question 16

How much of the population died due to the Black Death?

Answer 16

1/3

Question 17

How was the Black Death treated?

Answer 17

Religious treatments
Bloodletting and purging
Herbal remedies

Question 18

How did they try to prevent getting the Black Death?

Answer 18

Leave town
Carry a pomander
Quarantine laws

Question 19

What approach did the government have?

Answer 19

Laissez faire

Question 20

Why were dissections not common and what impact did this have on medical knowledge?

Answer 20

Dissections were illegal as the church believed that the person who has passed could not go to heaven if dissected. Scientists could only dissect criminals which was very rare therefore new discoveries couldn’t be made.

Question 21

What were hospitals like?

Answer 21

They were based in churches and were there for those travelling who need a rest. Travellers would be cared for by nuns and other members of the church.

Question 22

Symptoms of the Black Death:

Answer 22

fever
headache
vomiting
buboes