Medieval Flashcards
What medical ideas from the Ancient World did people use in Medieval times?
I.Hippocrates ‘Theory of the Four Humours’ and Galen’s ‘Theory of Opposites’.
II.The idea that the planets had an effect on your health.
What power did the Catholic Church over people’s lives c.1250?
The church controlled education and people had to pay lots of taxes. People felt if they went against the Church they would go to hell.
Why did people believe God caused illness?
People in Medieval England were very religious – they received the majority of their information from the Catholic Church. There was no real scientific knowledge that could be used to challenge the Church.
How did people link illness to the planets?
Physicians would consult star charts, looking at when a person was born and when they became ill, to identify what was wrong. Bad alignment of the planets was said to cause illness.
How did people think the ‘four humours’ could make you sick?
If your humours became unbalanced you would fall ill. Humours could be affected by the seasons or by the planets being out of line.
What illnesses were connected to which humours?
I.Coughs and colds were connected to having too much phlegm, particularly in winter.
II.Fevers were connected to having too much blood, causing a high temperature and rashes on the skin.
III.Depression/constipation was linked to having a build-up of black bile.
How did people use urine charts to diagnose illness?
Physicians would check colour, thickness, smell and taste of the urine then compare it to the chart to make a diagnosis and advise on how to balance the humours.
How did people think miasma could make you sick?
I.Miasma was believed to be bad air filled with harmful fumes from swamps, corpses and other rotting matter which would spread disease.
II.They also connected miasma to God, suggesting that a clean and sweet-smelling home was a sign of spiritual cleanliness.
