Medieval Flashcards
Late mediaeval period
1250-1500
13th, 14th, 15th
Physicians 
University educated doctors who would treat the wealthy
Four humours theory
The theory that the body would be in good health if the humours (blood ,phlegm ,yellow and black bile ) were balance
Hippocrates
Ancient Greek Doctor Who developed clinical observations and the four humours theory
Galen
Ancient Greek Doctor Who developed the opposite theory and wrote books on anatomy and physiology
Anatomy
The study of the structure of the human body
Physiology
The study of how the human body works
Opposites theory 
The theory that symptoms of illnesses could be cured using opposite. this was based of the four humours theory
Miasma
Bad air that was believed to meet you Ill
Remedies
Herbal remedies were treatments made from plants
Astrology
The study of the movement of the planets and stars
Barber surgeon
Worked with sharp knives to cut hairs they use the same tools to carry out small surgeries like bloodletting
What happened in fifth century BC
Ancient Greek doctors Hippocrates wrote about the four humours theory
What happened in second century A.D.
Ancient Greek doctor Galen worked in ancient Rome
What happened in 12th century
Use of astrology and medicine is brought to Europe from the Middle East
When does the medival medicine cource begin
1250
When was there fewer than 100 physicians in England
1300
What happened to 1348
The black death the plague which killed 40% of England
When did King Edward the third order the mayor of London to clear fifth from the street as it was infecting the air
1349
What happened in 1403
Royal surgeon John Bradmore moved in Arrowhead using metal forceps
 when is the end of the mediaeval medicine course
1500
What experience or education did women have
- New comment herbal remedies by heart
- No formal medical training or knowledge passed down from older women
- local wise women have an expensive knowledge and may sell herbal remedies
Who did women care for
Rich and poor
Midwives
What care did women provide?
Identifying ingredients
Mix recipes for treatments
Know prayers and incantations that needed to be said
application of the remedies
highly educated women would mix herb remedies using herbals
What care did apothecaries provide?
Prepared and sold remedies
gave advice on how to use them
mixed ingredients to make ointments and medicines for physicians to use
used herbal animal fats and minerals and
one of the most common remedies was Thenica
What was one of the most commen hebal remedies?
Thenica
Who did apothecaries care for?
Anyone who could afford them
Mostly people loving in towns
What experience or education did apothecaries have
Studyed herbals brought from quakes
Trained through aprenticeships and gained knowledge through experience.
Who cared for the sick?
Women
apothecaries
barber surgeons
physicians
hospitals
master surgeons
What experience or education did barber surgeons have?
Trained as apprentices through observing and practicing skills
What care did barber surgeons provide?
Basic surgeries as they lack knowledge of the body
Bloodletting
Cutting veins
removed foreign bodies
Pulled teeth
hot irons for cauterisation
Who did barber surgeons care for
People who needed them and could afford their services
assisted physicians to treat wealthy
Who did physicians care for
The wealthiest

What care did physicians provide
Advice on staying healthy (regular washing + exercise)
Used almanac to help others which included the rain man, zodiac man and urine chart
Diagnosis made from four humours astrology and miasma

What experience or education did physisiams have
Studied Hippocrates and Galen and Arab writers such as Iban sina
taught astrology
taught all ancient ideas
they were trained in university for seven years
no women, church controlled education
What experience or education did master surgeons have
Reading
apprentices
didn’t have to train at uni
examples by a guild of surgeons known by reputation
Who did master surgeons care for
A small percentage
wealthiest members
What care did master surgeons provide
Bloodletting ,enemas, mainly simple procedures
What experience or education did hospitals have
Nuns and monks study religious texts And herbals
Experience of growing herbs and making herbal remedies
What care did hospitals provide
Provided cleanliness herbal remedies food warmth and prayers
Who were hospital set up by and why
Set up by monasteries and wealthy to please God
Who ran hospitals
None is provided physical care and the monks provided spiritual care
How many hospitals were there and how many beds each
1500to 1000 hospitals with 5 - 6beds in each
Who did hospitals care for
Church set up hospitals for the old and helpless
What was the bubonic plague spread by
Fleas 
What were the symptoms of the bubonic plague
Cold
tired
painful swellings
blisters all over the body
high fever
headaches
Causes of the plague (belived)
Astrology
Miasma
imbalance of humans makes you more susceptible
sins (God’s punishment)
What were the two methods of prevention towards the black death
God and miasma
How was God a method of prevention towards the black death
Prayed for forgiveness
lit candles and fasted
punish themselves
activities insulting God ended
pilgrimage
How was miasma prevented during the black death
Lit fires
sweet smelling herbs
Rakers cleaning animal dung
litter fine increased
clean streets
What was the Kings response to the black death
Edward the third close parliament when the plague hit London to avoid people travelling to an area and ordered the mayor of London to clean the streets
What was the governments response to the black death
They clearly understood that you should stay away from plague victims as local authorities introduced new quarantine laws
What quarantine laws did the government and local authorities introduced as a response to the black death
People new to an area needed to stay away from everyone else for 40 days to ensure they won’t catch the disease
What evidence is there that the government + king didn’t understand the cause of the black death so they were not always helpful in their response
Edward the third also ordered services to be sat in church every day encouraging more people together and some local authorities ordered rakers to stop cleaning the street so the smell of the rubbish and rotting bodies with cancer than my asthma
Who had the biggest role in response to the plague and why
The most widely believed cause of the black death was God therefore the church had the biggest role
Why was the Black Death focused on prevention and not treatment
Because when people catch it you should stay away and few survived long enough to be treated
What was the examples of treatment to treat the black death
Examples of treatment used buboes to drain puss
treatments based on four humours
What percent of England was killed by the black death
40%
What was the pneumonic plague spread by
Breathing or coughing on another person
What was symptoms of the pneumonic plague
Breathing problems
cough up blood
What were the attitudes in society in mediaeval medicine
Church controlled education
respected traditions and encourage not to challenge ideas
What was the science And technology in mediaeval medicine
Little scientific development
slow communication books written by hand
Institutions in mediaeval medicine
Monarch Ruled very powerful
Christine Church dominated very powerful
What was surgery like in mediaeval England
Basic as they did not have enough anatomical knowledge or effective methods to deal with pain infection or blood loss
What basic surgical procedures were in mediaeval medicine
Removal of Small surface tumours or foreign bodies
bleeding
splinting broken bones
There was no affective anaesthetic so what did they use
Wines or herbs such as hemlock Or opium to make patient drowsy
however too much could kill a patient
What allowed surgery a mediaeval medicine to improve
Warfare as it led to small improvements in techniques as They had opportunity to practice
What did John Broadmoor develop
Metal forceps and cauterisation was used to stop bleeding by burning the wound shut
What are the development in surgery was there
Cataract surgery where the film of the eye could be removed using a sharp nife
What did they used to clean wounds in mediaeval medicine
Wine vinegar and honey but antibacterial effectivity was limited
Causes of disease in mediaeval England
Sent from God to the test of faith or for your sins
imbalance of humour is caused illness
bad and makes you ill (miasma)
How was God used to treat disease
Sins committed people go on pilgrimages to seeks God forgiveness hope of the Saint saving them
light candles to show how sorry they were for their sins
How was four humans used to treat disease
Enemas (squirting fluid into anus) relieve constipation
If you had an unbalanced humour they could treat it by balancing it for example too much blood they would be blood by cutting a vein or leeches or using a bronze cup and heating it would help draw out blood
How would they use God to prevent disease
Prayers
some wealthy would please God by improving towns
How would they use the four humours to prevent disease
Balance lifestyle avoiding over eating and exercising

How would they use miasma to prevent disease
Lit fires to purify air
advised to take regular washes
fines for throwing litter onto the streets and people hired to clean the streets
wealthy walked around with pouches filled with herbs and attempted to keep the houses smelling nice local government pass laws to make Street cleaner however they still remain dirty as there wasn’t enough money.
What was the importance of the church (7)
Books
the Bible
local support for needy
education
teaching
wide reaching influence
Conservative attitudes
What was the importance of the church (education)
Church controlled all education
What was the importance of the church (teachings)
Most had no formal education and illiterate received all ideas through Church attended regular church and followed the teachings
What was the importance of the church (hell)
Anyone challenged Bible told they would go to hell
in this period how was believed to be a real place of eternal pain and suffering
this fear of hell made sure no one challenged the church
 What was the importance of the church (books)
The church had all the books and libraries
the monks wrote all the books
What was the importance of the church (the bible)
Bible taught as truth and God controlled all life
tells stories of God controlling whether and could send famines or diseases such as leprosy as punishment
What was the importance of the church (local support for needy)
A Church or monastery was at the centre of a local community they supported the poor and care for the sick and elderly
monasteries like Bolton Priory and hospitals run by nuns and monks provided basic medical care
What was the importance of the church (constevative attitudes)
Church would only let new ideas and they believed in meaning ideas wouldn’t change
What was the importance of the church (wide reaching influence)
The church network from Pope to local priest east district had a bishop and each church and a priest
How could people use herbal remedies
Drunk
smelt
bathed in
applied to the skin
What were most common Herbal remedies made from
Herbs minerals animal parts
What were the most common treatments
Herbal remedies which have been passed down through generations
What’s And example of an ineffective herbal remedy
Boiling a fox and then bathing in the same water to sure paralysis as a patient to take on the quick and nimble properties of a fox
Which herbal remedies were successful
Some remedies including ingredients which were proven to kill bacteria for example honey plantain onion and garlic which we use successfully to fight cuts and wounds.
Who knew herbal remedies and where were they recorded
Women new many by heart and commonly recorded in books called herbals
What were in herbals
Images and precise instructions regarding amounts of ingredients and method of preparation and also many included an element of superstition with prayers and spells to be said to improve effectiveness
Why did ancient ideas continue (5)
New ideas were not encouraged
there is a lack of science and technology
key individuals
ancient ideas are supported by the church
medicine was not a priority for the king
Why did ancient ideas continue ((new ideas not encoraged))
Church said or Galens ideas were correct
doctors are not encouraged to think themselves or challenge his ideas
learnt to follow galens and ideas and teachings
church controlled education how doctors were trained at universities key part of studies to learn Galens as work
How was medicine not a priority for the King
Main concerns of mediaeval king was to defend position and country of attack keep peace and order in England
No interest in using countries money for medical research or care no money was invested into medical ideas - ancient ideas continued
Why were disections largley band in medival medicine
As Church taught the body needed to be buried hole for the souls into heaven
 Why did ancient ideas continue ( there was a lack of science and technology)
Lack of scientific evidence to support any of the theory and cause of disease
Disections largly banned
occasionally criminals dissection at universities only purpose to better understand Galens work not to look fore themselves if any contradictions found explained away as body belong to criminal and thefore imperfect
Why did ancient ideas continue (key individulas)
Galen and Hippocrates ideas fit the doctors observations and ideas still used
Galen and Hippocrates were so important that to be a good doctor they should read hundreds of their books rather than the ones who successfully treated many patients
Galen and Hippocrates ideas written down and were very detailed and seem to make sense peoples symptoms when sick supported for humans theory
Why did ancient ideas continue (ancient ideas were supported by the church)
Not to challenge bible of Church or you could go to hell
Christian Church was rich and powerful in the Middle Ages
Church supported Galen‘s work as he said that God created the human body and soul which supported the Bible
Church supported Galen meant that no one challenged if they did they would be ignored or imprisoned
Why were ideas of misama supported by the church
They said that clean and sweet smelling home was a sign of spiritual cleanliness homes that smelt bad suggested sinfulness
as the church supported ancient ideas continued
What centuries does mediaeval medicine cover
13th 14th and 15th century
What were the four Ancient medical ideas
The four humours
the opposite theory
miasma theory
urine
What was the opposite Thory
Galen believe too much of a certain human could be treated with the opposite
galen studied Hippocrates work then developed his ideas and four humours and oposites theory
How would urine help them determine cause of illness
Incorprated the four humours theory
doctors would check smell ,colour, thickness and taste
the urine chat would help them determine cause of illness for example too much phlegm shown through white urine
Why was miasma theory Rational
Not true but it did let doctors + Kings Look for practical solutions to remove bad smells some methods to improve health and hygiene and by the 14th century teams of rakers employed to clear animal dung from the streets
What was miasma
Bad air which made someone ill
who wrote about miasma
Galen ans hippocrates
Miasma evidence in roman period
Romans invested a lot of money in cleaning up the streets with public health systems they noticed that an air is a bad smells people felt ill
swamps courpses and rotting matter could cause disease
What affected the four humours
Age
circumstances
family
personality trait
lifestyle
How was the four humours affected by seasons
The patients star sign will play a key part in diagnosis this was first used in ancient Greece
Who created the four humours theory
Hippocrates believed elements made of the human body is for humans Caitlyn wrote about his ideas and develop them further
How was the four humours theory rational
A logical idea based on the natural world even if it is wrong doctors are looking at the body for answers and not God lead to progress in diagnosis and treatment
What was the four humours theory
Blood yellow bile black bile and phlegm humans must be balanced in order to be healthy and doctors would look for certain characteristics to see which was out of balance
What were the three supernatural ideas on cause of disease in mediaeval times
Devil sent / godsend disease
astrology
Why would the devil send disease
As a test of faith and through witches and Demons which were their servants on Earth
Why would God send disease
Punishment for sins
as a test of faith
bible supported teaching so they wouldn’t be questioned
to cleanse soul of sin or evil spirit/Demons
What was astrology
The believe that the movement of the planets and stars have an affect on Earth and people
Where was astrology developed and then brought to Europe
Developed in the Middle East and brought to Europe in the 12th century
What would mediaeval doctors use to work out how astrology linked to personal illness
Almanac
What did the church think of the theory that astrology was a cause of disease
At first did not approve as it wasn’t based on the Bible but after the black death they were more accepting of it as a cause of disease and illness
