Medicine Through Time Flashcards
Explain is meant by the theory or the four humours.
The ancient Greeks thought the body contained four humours - blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phlegm. They thought that when these became unbalanced, you’d get ill.
Describe the theory of opposites.
The idea that a patients humours could be balanced by giving patient the ‘opposite’ of their symptoms.
Who was Hippocrates?
- Hippocrates was an Ancient Greek doctor.
- He said illnesses had physical reasons and needed a physical cure.
- based treatments on diet and rest, as well as bleeding and purging to rid of excess humours.
- his method of clinical observation is the basis for the approach used today.
Who was Galen?
- developed Hippocrates ideas into the theory of opposites.
- based human anatomy drawings on animal dissections, made many mistakes.
- wrote many medical books.
- church supported him due to his belief that the body had a soul e.c.t.
Give two ways that the church was thought to have caused disease.
The church taught that God made people ill as:
- a punishment for sin
- a test of faith
Apart from religious reasons, which other supernatural idea was believed to have caused disease?
Astrology, and the alignments of planets and stars, were thought to cause disease.
Alignments were checked to diagnose the patient, and monitored throughout treatment.
Stare four religious treatments for disease in the Middle Ages.
Religious treatments included:
- praying
- fasting
- going on pilgrimage
- paying for a special mass to be said
Give two treatments in connection with the four humours, and state who performed them.
- Bloodletting. Done by cutting a vein or with leeches. Performed mostly by barber surgeons.
- Purging. Emetics and laxatives were mixed either by apothecaries or wise women.
Describe the role of physicians in the Middle Ages.
Diagnosed illness and gave treatments. They were medically trained at university, and were expensive. Mainly used by the wealthy.
What was the role of an apothecary?
Received training, but had no qualifications. Mixed medicines and ointments based on their own knowledge, or on instructions given by a physician.
What were barber surgeons?
They carried out blood letting, and well as basic surgery such as pulling teeth and amputations limbs. Had no training, a very low success rate, and cost less than a physician.
Give three features of hospitals in the Middle Ages.
- focused on care rather than cure.
- mostly ran by the church, and so had an emphasis on religious treatments.
- patients with infectious or incurable diseases weren’t admitted.
