Medieval Britain c.1250 - 1500

Question 1

What medical ideas from the ancient world did people use in medieval times?

Answer 1

Four Humours

God - praying - being visited by Gods

Question 2

What power did the catholic church have over peoples lives in c.1250?

Answer 2

Complete power
Catholic was the only church
It was dominant - people depended on it

Question 3

Why did people believe God caused illness?

Answer 3

As punishment for sin

Punishment for not keeping clean

Question 4

How did people think illness linked to astrology?

Answer 4

If the planets were aligned

If there were comets in the sky

Question 5

How did people use astrology to diagnose illness?

Answer 5

Star signs to determine disease/illness

Question 6

How did people think the four humours could make you sick?

Answer 6

If they were unbalenced

Question 7

What illnesses were connected to which humours?

Answer 7

phlegmatic - when you had too much phlem

Question 8

How did people use urine charts to diagnose illness?

Answer 8

Check smell and taste and use the colour

Question 9

How did people think miasma could make you sick?

Answer 9

Delivered disease through the air

Question 10

What did people believe you could do to encourage God to make you better?

Answer 10

Repent and go on a pilgrimage

Question 11

According to the Regimen Sanitatis, what did you need to do before washing yourself?

Answer 11

Pray

Question 12

What did people believe about the king’s role in being able to heal people?

Answer 12

That he would be able to heal you by touching you

Question 13

What humoural treatments existed?

Answer 13

The theory of opposites

Question 14

What were common herbal remedies and where could people read about them?

Answer 14

Materia Medica

600 plants, trees, minerals, essences and balms

Question 15

What job did an apothecary have?

Answer 15

Provide people with herbal remedies

Question 16

What was a barber surgeon?

Answer 16

They cut hair and perform surgery

Question 17

How safe and professional was surgery?

Answer 17

Not safe an professional was surgery

Question 18

Where were most hospitals based?

Answer 18

In churches

Question 19

What sort of care did you get in hospitals?

Answer 19

Looked after but rarely treated

Question 20

Who was turned away from hospitals?

Answer 20

Pregnant ladies and insane people

Question 21

What was the role of Monks and Nuns in hospitals?

Answer 21

Acted as nurses

Question 22

What was the general condition of a town during medieval times?

Answer 22

Unsanitary

Question 23

What laws and when did the government pass to try to clean up towns?

Answer 23

Public Health Laws -
First - 1848
Second - 1875

Question 24

What was the black death?

Answer 24

An outbreak of bubonic plague that killed a third of the English population between 1348-50.

Question 25

What did people think caused the black death?

Answer 25

God
An unusual positioning of Mars, Jupiter and Saturn
Impure air - miasma - that corrupted the body’s humours.
The Jewish population.

Question 26

What was done to try to prevent and treat black death?

Answer 26

Treatments-
No treatment - it was God’s will, you just had to suffer.
Bleeding and purging - but it made people worse
Lighting a fire and boiling vinegar - purify the air.
Trying a mix of herbs and herbal remedies

Preventions-
Pray to God and fast
Show God you were sorry - self-flagellation 
(whipping yourself).
Run away to fresh air.
Avoid family members with the illness.