Medieval Medicine Flashcards
who would people go to in the Medieval times
apothecaries-where medicines, herbs and spices were sold
university trained doctors- focused on the theory of the Four Humours
the local wise woman- contacted by the poor, produced homemade medicines and potions also used supernatural cures
Barber surgeons- did small medical procedures like blood letting and tooth extraction with hair cutting
what treatments were used
bloodletting
- blood was removed by opening a vein
prayers
- people believed God sent disease as a punishment for human wickedness, prayers and charms were often used as remedies.
herbs
- Medieval doctors had access to a huge range of natural healing herbs and substances.
trepanning
- drilling a hole into the skull to let the demon out as they believed epilepsy was caused by demons in the head
Info about Hippocrates and his significance
was one of the first doctors to use rational medicine based on common sense
developed the four humours & the idea that if blood, phlegm, yellow/black bile were out of balance, sickness would occur
An oath was named after him (The Hippocratic Oath) which is still used today to show professional thinking
believed a doctors work should be kept separate from a Priests work
Info about Galen and his significance
worked at Gladiatior school and gained knowledge there
went to Rome and became a doctor
used the brain to develop the idea that the brain is the most important organ.
built on the four humours adding a season to each element
developed the theory of opposites
- cold treated with hot chilli
His work was praised by the Church as he called God his ‘creator’
and talked about believing in one God
How did Christianity impact Medieval Medicine
Strong belief illness came from God so prayers and pilgrimages were the most important
Started over 700 hospitals with the funding of the Church
Church controlled medical training in Universities
Asylums were introduced
Nuns and Monks introduced strict diet and prayer patterns for the sick to follow
Did Christianity help or hinder medical progress
hinder- taught old knowledge instead of discovering new ideas
-as it was hard to challenge Galens work
hindered-believed in caring for rather than curing
helped- train people in universities
set up hospitals, asylums
How did Islam impact Medieval Medicine
they encourages medical learning
encouraged to discover cures rather than just treating
illness
Preserved books by Hippocrates and Galen
Set up first mental hospitals
Did Islam help or hinder medical progress
helped- ideas were spread to Western Europe
work was translated into Latin
Avicenna wrote the canon of medicine and listed 760 drugs, wrote chapters of medical problems which could be solved
Public Health definition
- the general health and well-being of the population as a whole
advantages to public health
+ve
some towns had water supplies, which helped transfer water across town
most town had privies (toilet) with holding ranks where underneath sewage was collected
Places like Exeter & London had pipes to cope with increased demand for water
disadvantages to public health
-ve
open drains where waste and water would overflow
no sewers so waste was chucked on the street
available water was usually contaminated so people drank beer
reasons why some places had better conditions
wealth- some people gave valuables and money in return for prayers
environment- abbies and monasteries were in isolated areas
facilities - pipe systems delivered the water to the wash basins
- filtering systems were also installed to remove impurities from the water
the bubonic plague
bubonic plague - an infectious disease spread by fleas causing buboes or lumps to be found on the groin ,neck and armpits
pneumonic plague
a more deadly form of the black death. spread by breath of blood and it infected the lungs causing fever and coughing
what people thought caused the black death
God for punishment
bad smells
unbalanced four humours
Jews poisoning wells
