Medicine through time Flashcards
what were the causes of disease in the medieval period
- god sent disease as a punishment for sin
- evil supernatural beings like demons or witches or the devil
- evil spirits living inside someone
- miasma
- astrology
- the four humours ( an imbalance in the body)
what were the cures and treatments of disease during the medieval period
- flagellants
- live a good life
- pay indulgences
- bloodletting and purging
- herbal remedies
- exorcisms to remove spirits
- prayer and repentance
- the theory of opposites to cure the four humours where the patient would be given the opposite treatment to their symptoms
- going on a pilgrimage
- paying for a special mass to be said
how did the church have an influence in the medieval period
- they outlawed dissections so people couldn’t discover human anatomy for themselves
- encouraged people that God sent disease as a punishment for sin which prevented people from finding cures because all they could do was repent and pray
- made sure scholars of medicine only learnt the works of Galen
- many people were illiterate so they were entirely dependent on the church to teach them
- controlled the books
- the church controlled what was taught in education
- people believed the church so strongly because it was the centre of society and therefore medical progress was stagnated because no one felt the need to look for other answers
- it set up and ran the universities where physicians were trained
- promoted the work of Galen as his theories fitted Christians ideas that the body, soul and all its parts had been created by God to work together
discuss Galen
a Greek doctor
he developed the ideas of Hippocrates and mainly used bloodletting and purging to prevent and treat illness
he developed the theory of opposites and the four humours
he drew detailed diagram of human anatomy using knowledge he gained from operating on wounded gladiators and carrying out dissections on dead (mostly animals) bodies
discuss Hippocrates
an ancient Greek doctor who’s ideas and books were very influential
he dismissed the idea that Gods caused disease and he believed there was a physical reason for illness which needed a physical cure
most of his treatments were based on diet, exercise and rest but he also used bleeding and purging to get rid of excess humours
he wrote the Hippocrates Oath where doctors swore to respect life and prevent harm
his method of clinical observation - studying symptoms, making notes comparing with similar cases then diagnosing and treating - is the basis of the approach used today.
what were methods to prevent illness used in the medieval period
- living a Christian life
- carrying lucky charms or amulets
- chanting incantations
- self-punishment such as flagellation ,punishing yourself so God doesn’t
- trying to keep your streets clean
- bathing and washing
- exercising
- not overeating
- bleeding and purging
- purifying the air
discuss astrology as a medieval cause of disease
- the idea that the movements of the planets and stars have an effect on the Earth and on people in disease
- astrology was a new way of diagnosing disease, it was developed in Arabic medicine and brought to Europe between 1100 and 1300
- medieval doctors owned a type of calendar called a almanac which included information about where particular planets and stars were at any given time and how this related to a patients illness
- different star signs were thought to affect different parts of the body
discuss the four humours as a medieval diagnosis and treatment
- created by Hippocrates
- the belief that the body was made up of four humours: blood, phlegm, yellow and black bile
- these were linked to the four seasons and needed to be balanced to allow good health
- the theory was then developed by Galen with the theory of opposites to treat the imbalance
- e.g if you have a cold eat hot foods like chilies
discuss the miasma theory as a medieval cause of disease
- bad air causes disease when someone breathes it in
- bad air comes from human refuse, abattoirs or dead bodies
- the theory originated in Ancient Greece and Rome and was incorporated by Galen into the theory of the four humours and was extremely popular
- lasted until the 1860’s when it was replaced by the germ theory
- miasma often prompted people to do hygienic things like cleaning the streets which sometimes helped to stop the spread of disease
where the theory of the four humours and miasma completely useless in the medieval theory
the four humours and miasma might have been incorrect theories but they were both rational and they assumed disease had a natural cause rather than a supernatural one. This was important as it suggested that people weren’t powerless against disease and they could investigate and take action against it.
in addition miasma often prompted people to do hygienic things like cleaning the streets which sometimes helped to stop the spread of disease
why was Galen and Hippocrates so influential in the medieval period
- they wrote down their beliefs about medicine and these were translated into Latin books which were considered important texts by the Roman Catholic Church
- like the bible their ideas were considered absolute truth
- Galen only ever dissected animals so some of his ideas about anatomy were wrong
- medieval doctors weren’t allowed to perform their own dissections so they continue to learn Galen’s incorrect ideas
- some of their ideas are still used today: the Hippocratic Oath is a promise made by doctors to obey the rules of behaviour in their professional lives
- they believed doctors should observe patients as they treat them
what treatments did the church encourage in the medieval period ?
religious and supernatural ones
- prayer to saints to intervene and stop disease
- pilgrimages to holy shrines (e.g places with the remains of saints) could cure illness
- repentance such as flagellants who were people that would whip themselves in public to show God they were sorry for their past actions and this was popular during epidemics
- astrology
- saying certain words when administering treatment
discuss herbal remedies in the medieval period
- remedies bought from apothecaries, local wise women or made at home were popular
- contained herbs, minerals, spices and animal parts
- these remedies were passed down or written in books explaining how to mix them (herbals)
- other remedies were based on superstition like lucky charms or powdered unicorn’s horn
discuss physicians in the medieval period
- male doctors women were very rare
- trained at university for at least 7 years
- read ancient texts including writings from the Islamic world
- their training included very little practical experience
- they used handbooks (vademecums) and clinical observation to check patients’ conditions
- in 1300 there were less than 100 physicians in England
- they were expensive to see so only the rich cold afford it
discuss apothecaries in the medieval periods
- prepared and sold herbal remedies
- trained through apprenticeships
- most were men but there is wise women
- most common treatment as they were the most accessible for the poor
