Medicine through time- medieval Flashcards
Who was Hippocrates?
An ancient Greek physician who created the theory of four humours
Who was Galen?
An ancient Roman physician who developed the theory of opposites
Who was Johannes Gutenberg?
German inventor of the printing press
What was believed to cause disease in the medieval period?
miasma, unusual alignment of the stars and planets, God’s punishment or test, the four humours
What was the role of the church and religion in medicine in medieval times?
hospitals were run by nuns, people paid tithes to prevent illness, special prayers could be requested for healing
What was leprosy and was believed about it?
Leprosy was a painful skin disease leading to paralysis and death that was believed to be a punishment from God
Between which years was the medieval period?
1250-1500 or 13th century to 16th century
What was the theory of four humours?
belief that humans are made up of 4 elements: black bile, yellow bile, blood and phlegm, that when imbalanced caused disease
What was the theory of opposites?
The belief that you could balance the humours by eating something of the opposite element e.g. cucumbers for sore throat
What was malnutrition?
illness caused by lack of food
What was famine?
food shortages, usually due to bad harvests
What did doctors use in diagnosis?
Star charts and urine charts
What was vivisection?
a person being dissected whilst alive and examined for scientific purposes usually as a death sentence
What were the places/people of care in the medieval period?
Physicians, apothecaries, barber surgeons, wise women or housewives
What were barber surgeons?
Barbers with no medical training that carried out procedures such as bloodletting or other minor surgeries
What were the actual causes of disease in the medieval period?
lack of personal hygiene, unclean water, rats and lice borne diseases, airborne diseases, overcrowding, close contact with animals
How did people try to prevent disease in the medieval period?
avoid sin, pray often, healthy diet, carry posies and pomanders, place sweet smelling herbs in the home, regimen Sanitatis
What were the medieval treatments of disease?
purging, bloodletting, herbal remedies, incantations, pilgrimages, being touched by a holy person, bathing, fasting, paying for special mass
What were the different types of bloodletting?
Cupping, leeching, slicing
What were physicians?
Doctors who trained for ten years and diagnosed disease in wealthy people
What were apothecaries?
Herbal dispensaries that mixed herbs recommended by a physician or had premade mixtures like theriaca
What were hospitals?
Church run establishments that provided clean and comfortable hospitality to pilgrims, old people and travellers without treatment
When was the black death and how many people died?
The bubonic plague arrived in Bristol in 1348 by trade routes and killed approximately 30-40% of the poulation
What actually caused the black death?
Yersinia Pestis bacteria carried by fleas who lived on rats, exacerbated by poor hygiene and overcrowding
What were the symptoms of the black death?
chest pains, shortness of breath, boils and buboes in the armpit and groin, fever, sneezing and coughing blood, death within days
What did medieval people believe caused the black death?
God’s desertion and punishment of mankind, unusual alignment of the planets, miasma, Jews
What were the treatments of the black death?
confession, penance, bleeding, purging, keeping strong smelling herbs near to the nose
How did people try to prevent the black death?
prayer, self flagellation, pilgrimage, posies, smiling, rubbing the body with dead pigeons
How did the government respond to the black death?
people new to an area had to quarantine for 40 days, quarantine houses
How were religious/supernatural treatments different to humoral treatments?
supernatural- incantations, paying for special mass, fasting, pilgrimages, touch of a holy person
humoral- bloodletting, purging, bathing, herbal remedies
What was the impact of the printing press and when was it made?
In 1440, the printing press was developed, enabling easier sharing of ideas around Europe in the late medieval and renaissance period.
What were stewes?
Public baths available for a fee
What was endowment?
money left by a wealthy person to set up a new hospital
What was phlebotomy and why was it carried out?
Bloodletting was used to cure an imbalance in the humours1`
