Medieval Britian Flashcards
When was the time period of Medieval Britian?
c.1250 - 1500
What where the diffrent types of peasents?
Freeman , Cottars , Villens
What were some supernatural beliefs about the causes of disease in Medieval times?
Astrology- people used astrology and the presence as comets in the sky as explanations of disease.
Why was the Church so powerful in Medieval times?
- Only Church at the start of the Middle Ages.
- Widespread belief in power of magic + God’s direct involvement in the world around them due to the lack of scientific knowledge.
- Fear of going to hell
Why did the Church allow the theories of Galen (and by extension Hippocrates)?
- Galen often wrote about a monotheistic deity known as the ‘creator’; this fitted with Christian belief in God
- Galen believed in the idea of the soul; again, this fitted with Christian beliefs
Methods of treatment in Medieval Britain
- Exorcisms
- Self-flagellation
- Being touched by the hands of the King (he was believed to be God’s representative on Earth)
- Humoural treatments- to rebalance the humours
- Herbal remedies
Three methods of bloodletting
Cutting a vein
- Using leeches
- Cupping
What book was published about herbal remedies?
Materia Medica, which detailed 600 plants, trees and minerals.
Methods of diagnosis
- Urine charts
- Astrology charts
How many hospitals were owned and operated by the church?
30%; many hospitals were in Monasteries
- Hospital care was provided by Monks and Nuns, who were also responsible for developing some of earliest hospitals in England.
- E.g. St. Barts was originally set up by the Clergy in the 1100s
Examples of care in the home
Women expected to care for sick + grow plants known for their healing abilities.
- Some records suggest women in the home carried out bleedings + minor surgery.
