Medieval medical standstill: medieval medicine Flashcards

1
Q

What did people in the medieval era believe about how God affected illness and disease?

A
  • if a person was leading a sinful life than an illness was Gods way of punishing them for their sins.
  • Doctrine of signatures: God created illness but he also created a cure through herbs and plants.
  • if society as a whole was being sinful, or moving away from the path of religion and Pope the an epidemic or plague was sent by God to remind people of their duties to the church.
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2
Q

What did people in the medieval era believe about how bad smells affected illness and disease?

A

Some people thought bad smells caused diseases. This particularly affected towns and where people lived along side their animals and their filth.

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3
Q

What did people in the medieval era believe about how the supernatural affected illness and disease?

A
  • witch craft was feared and many believed the world was full of demons trying to cause trouble and death.
  • mystery and the supernatural world were used by some to explain illness or death or general misfortune.
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4
Q

How did every day life contribute to the understanding of illness/disease/death in the medieval era?

A

Most people believed that illness and early deaths were inevitable. Mortality rates among children were very high as well as maternal mortality rate.

Accidents, warfare and famine were frequent.

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5
Q

What did people on the medieval era believe about The Four Humours?

A

They believed people got ill when the Four Humours were out of balance.

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6
Q

What methods of diagnosis were often used in medieval era?

A
  • urine sample

- astrological chart and information.

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7
Q

When were medical schools forts set up?

A

12th century

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8
Q

Who treated patients/the ill?

A

Barber surgeons, doctors, midwives, apothecaries.

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9
Q

What was the role of women in the medieval era when it came to treating the ill?

A

It was extremely Rae for their to be a female physician. One female physician called Tortula taught at a university in the 12th century.

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10
Q

How was dissection used in medical schools to teach students and what were the disadvantages?

A

Students didn’t do any dissection themselves. They got all their knowledge from Galen’s writings. They hoped by 1340 they would be able to do 1 dissection a year. As dissection was carried out students could only watch and listen.

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11
Q

How were textbooks and teachings used in medical schools to teach students and what were the disadvantages?

A

Old manuscripts by Galen were used and translated to use for lectures as well as manuscripts form Muslim, Chinese and Indian worlds.
Students never actually got to use the manuscripts/books S they took too long to copy and couldn’t afford to be lost or damaged. Instead they would read passages which students debated. They had to be carful want they said as the church (universities sponsor) would not allow criticism of Galen.

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12
Q

How was diagnosis used in medical schools to teach students and what were the disadvantages?

A

They learned how to diagnose an illness mainly through the theory if the Four Humours. Also taught how to examine patients urine against a chart.
However, they never saw any patients while studying, they only studies theory. Diagnosing real patients had to wait until they were a qualified physician.

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13
Q

How were The Four Humours used in medical schools to teach students?

A

The theory of the Four Humours came form the Ancient Greek world. Each element was strongest in a specific season with specific quantities.

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14
Q

How were astrological used in medical schools to teach students?

A

They were taught to use astrological charts so that they could work out the position of planets wife deciding the best treatment. The astrological chart tells us which part of the body links to which astrological sign. It would also tell them the best time to treat patients.

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15
Q

How was bleeding used in medical schools to teach students?

A

This was important because it was key in keeping the the body’s Humours in balance. They were taught to bleed using both the bleeding cup and teachers.

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16
Q

What was the role of a healer?

A

Usually a village women who acted as a mid-wife and also had special knowledge of herbs and charms. A healer may accept some small payment or goods in return for her service.

17
Q

What was the role of an apothecary?

A

Always a man who sold wine, herbs and spices. They prepared and sold medicines to physicians and directly to patients. They also offered medical advice and other medical products.

18
Q

What was the role of a barber surgeon?

A

Always a man most towns had one of these. They pulled teeth and performed simple surgery e.g. amputation. They were identified by a red and white pole.

19
Q

What was the role of a physician?

A

Always a man who trained at one of Europe’s medical schools. He would use astrological and urine charts as well as the theory of The Four Humours in deciding the best treatment - often blood letting. They charges high fees.

20
Q

Islamic individuals: who was Caliph Harun al-Rashid?

A

During his reign (786-809) the capital city of Baghdad became a centre for the translation of Greek manuscripts into Islamic. Also set up a major free hospital in Baghdad with a medical school and library.

21
Q

How was Hippocrates and Galen’s work preserved?

A

They’re manuscripts were copied in Islam but Muslims during the darks age were the church fell and much work was lost.

22
Q

Islamic individuals: Who was Ibn Sina?

A

(980-1037) also known as Avicenna. He wrote an encyclopaedia of medicine called Canon of Medicine. It covered the whole Ancient Greek and Islam medical knowledge. It listed the properties of 760 drugs and contained chapters of medical properties. It become the standard European medical text book and was used in universities to teach doctors until the 17th century. It was translated into many languages.

23
Q

Islamic individuals: Who was Al-Razi?

A

(865-925) also known as Rhazes was a Muslim doctor who stressed the need for careful observation and distinguished the difference between measles and small pox for the first time. Wrote over 150 books and was a follower of Galen but believed students should improve in the work of their teacher.

24
Q

Islamic individuals: Who was Caliph Al-Mamun?

A

Al Rashids son, (813-833) developed his fathers library into ‘the house of wisdom’, which was the worlds largest library at the time and a study centre for scholars.

25
Q

Ancient Greek individuals: Who was Hippocrates?

A

(460-370BC) was the physician to regard the body as a whole rather than separate parts, He believed in the importance of observation and that diet and rest were important in recovery. He is credited for wiring 60 books and is regarded as the father if modern medicine.

26
Q

Ancient Greek individuals: Who is Galen?

A

(AD130-210 therefore Roman times) furthered the ideas of Hippocrates. He dissected animals in order to understand the human body better. Worked for 3 years as a doctor in a glaciation child were he developed his knowledge and ideas further. He used theory of Four Humours and stressed importance of listening to a patients pulse. His ideas influenced Western ideas of medicine for a long time.

27
Q

How did Galen’s work spread through Europe?

A

Greek translations were made in Salerno, in Italy (first medical university dating from around AD900), and rapidly became accepted and university medical texts. Church leaders looked carefully at his work and decided they fitted Christian ideas as they referred to the ‘creator’. Salerno was often a stopping point when travelling to the ‘holy lands’ so this is how is work spread.

28
Q

What were The Four Humours?

A

They believed that the body contained Four Humours: blood, phlegm, black bile, yellow bile. To remain healthy a body needed to keep the Four Humours in balance. Some Humours were beloved to be ‘hot’ e.g. yellow bile and blood were though to create sweating illness. Some Humours were ‘cold’ e.g. black bile and phlegm and created illnesses like melancholia.

29
Q

What are the similarities between Greek and Muslim ideas of medicine?

A

Hospitals:
-charity and caring for others was important in Islam. Hospitals were set up for the sick, the first one being in Cairo in AD1283. It also saw that patients were given money when they left so they could recover instead of going straight back to work.

-Greeks believed in Asclepios (God of healing) from 600BC Asclepion temples were built in quiet places (they were the closest Greeks got hospitals).

Keeping a healthy mind and body:
-Asclepion temples contained baths, stadiums and gymnasiums. People believed if they fell asleep in his temple him and his daughters Panacea and Hygeia would heal them.

-In Islam they encouraged the building of public baths because the Qur’an said hygiene was important for health. ‘Keep your house and yards clean. Allah does not like dirt and untidiness…every Muslim must have a bath once a week.’

Both wanted to learn/open to new knowledge:
-Wealthy classes spent much time becoming educated and discussing new ideas such as the Four Humours. Trade also helped bringing knowledge and methods from other civilisations.

-the Islamic religion encouraged medical learning and love of learning meant that Arabic doctors preserved the medical works of Galen and Hippocrates. They were encouraged to improve upon and extend medical knowledge.

30
Q

What are the differences between Greek and Muslim ideas of medicine?

A

-Islam refused to allow dissection of human bodies. This prevented surgeons from studying the human body in order to improve their skills and knowledge.

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