Medieval Medicine (1250-1500) Flashcards
In what ways did Religion cause a lack of progress in Medieval Medicine?
- The Roman Catholic Church had a lot of control in
Medieval Europe, encouraging people to believe that
diseases were a punishment from God. Meaning that
many others didn’t try to find other reasons or causes of
that disease. - Hippocrates and Galen’s theory that the Four Humours
caused disease was believed in the medieval times as it aligned with Bible teachings . It was encouraged by the Church, who controlled education. - Throughout the Medieval period people believed that
God caused disease as a punishment for people’s sins.
They would try to prevent / cure disease through
prayer, exorcisms or even self-flagellation. - The Church made dissection illegal. This meant that
doctors were not able to learn about the human body. It
meant they were unable to question the wrong ideas of
Galen.
What evidence was there for improved medical progress in Medieval Europe?
- During the Black Death, local governments did try to prevent the spread of disease. In 1349 King Edward III ordered that London should be cleaned to prevent disease spreading.
- Though there were some good hospitals emerging in the medieval times e.g. St Bartholomew’s
- To prevent bad air causing disease people carried herbs and flowers with them. They also burnt incense and made fires to overcome bad smells.
- Hospitals emerged in the medieval times. Many were run by monks and were clean. They cared of the elderly and weak and gave patients food, water and a warm place to stay. They also had good sewage systems.
How did classism stunt medical progress in Medieval Europe?
- Many hospitals did not treat patients who really needed help. Most people were still treated at home or by wise women.
- Physicians (doctors) who studied medicine started to appear in Europe. There were 100 by 1300. However, only rich people could afford to go to them.
- There were some well-trained surgeons in the medieval times but these were rare. Barber surgeons were more common and could only do minor operations as it was very dangerous. (not rlly classist but)
What was Miasma?
Bad air that was believed to cause disease
Who created the Greek theory of the four humours?
Hippocrates (Developed by Galen)
Who was Galen?
A doctor during the Roman empire
What were believed to be the main causes of disease during the Medieval period?
- God’s punishment
- Misalignment of the planets
- An imbalance of the four humours
- Miasma
When did the Black Death hit England?
1348
What was the English response to the 1348 Black Death?
Doctors were powerless to stop it, and it killed half of the population.
How many people were killed in the 1348 Black Death?
Half of the English population
What were some medieval treatments/remedies?
- Bleeding, applying leeches, or causing purging or
vomiting in order to restore the balance of the humours - Purifying the air with strong smelling posies or oranges
(Juniper, myrrh and incense were burned during the Black
Death) - Cutting open buboes, draining the pus and making the patient hot/cold through baths
- Praying or self flagellation in order to earn God’s forgiveness
- Lighting fires and spreading smoke
- Tidying rubbish from streets and banning new visitors to towns and villages
- Pilgrimages to holy shrines (e.g. sites containing the
remains of saints)
Where was the Black Death thought to have originated from?
Malaysia
What progress was there during the Medieval period with regard to surgery?
- It was discovered that wine was a mild antiseptic
- Developed a range of painkillers including Opium
- Medieval surgeons were good at practical first aid
and attempted some internal surgery:
~ They could heal wounds and broken bones
~ They could carry out internal surgery e.g. bladder
stones
- Surgeons had to improvise in war
( John Bradmore treated King Henry V in 1403 by designing forceps to take an arrow out of his skull) - Surgeons had limited anatomical knowledge and
anaesthetics
What progress was there during the Medieval period with regard to public health?
- Parliament passed the first law requiring people to
keep streets and rivers clean in 1388 - Medieval people washed and exercised, many towns
had bath houses - Towns began paying “gong” farmers to clean out
human waste from cesspits - Hospitals were built e.g. St Bartholomew’s in
London in 1123 - King Edward ordered the streets of London to be
cleaned in 1349 - No taxes towards public health/medicine were
paid, resulting in a lack of funding for medical
breakthroughs
When was the first parliament law passed requiring people to keep streets and rivers clean?
1388
Where and when was St Bartholomew’s built?
London in 1123
How were women used as Medieval healers?
- There was often a local wise woman/ lady of the
manor - They used herbal remedies/prayers
- They acted as midwives and could qualify as
surgeons by working as an apprentice - They couldn’t be physicians
How were hospitals Medieval healers?
- They first appeared in the 11th century
- They were run by Monks and nuns
- Gravely ill people were rarely admitted as they could
spread their disease to others - By 1400 there were 500 hospitals in England
Which surgeon designed forceps in 1404 to take an arrow head out of King Henry V’s skull?
John Bradmore
How were surgeons Medieval healers?
- They didn’t attend university, and trained through
observing others - They were open to men and women
- They only practiced basic surgery (bleeding and
sewing wounds) - They sometimes amputated limbs or removed
bladder stones without anaesthesia - Surgery was practiced rarely due to risks of blood loss,
infection and pain
How were physicians and apothecaries Medieval healers?
- Physicians were only for the rich, and university
trained - In 1300, there were less than 100 physicians in the
whole of England - Apothecaries mixed ingredients to make medicine/
ointments for physicians - Apothecaries usually sold medicine to the sick
How were herbal remedies used as a Medieval treatment?
- They were usually perfected over time
- Books such as “Ball’s leechbook” suggested
potions and remedies - Some treatments worked due to key ingredients
(e.g wine and onion), but they didn’t know why - Remedies were given in books called “Herbals”
which gave instructions on how to mix ingredients
and prayers to say during the process
Name a book that suggested ideas about different potions and herbal remedies
“Ball’s leechbook”
In what year did King Edward III order the streets of London to be cleaned?
1349
Give an example Galen’s “treatments by opposites”?
- Giving a hot chilly pepper to someone with too much phlegm (as a result of a cold)
How did people believe that misaligned planets caused disease?
- It was believed that God controlled the planets
- Physicians believed that the stars and planets affected people’s bodies
What were methods of treatment during the Medieval period?
- Bleeding, applying leeches, smelling strong posies or
causing purging or vomiting - Cutting open buboes, draining the pus and making
the patient hot or cold, eg by taking hot baths - Trepanning - cutting a hole in the skull
- Praying, or whipping themselves to try to earn God’s
forgiveness - Lighting fires in rooms and spreading the smoke,
tidying rubbish from the streets and banning new
visitors to towns and villages - this is a prevention idk y
it’s here
How many physicians were there in England by the 1300s?
Less than 100
What was the average life expectancy in the 1350s?
30-35 years
What was the infant mortality rate like in the Medieval period?
1 in 5 children died before their first birthday and many women died in childbirth
What was the job of Gong Farmers?
To clean out waste from cesspits
What substance was discovered as a mild antiseptic during this time?
Wine
What was The Black Death?
A series of plagues that swept over Europe that involved two illnesses - The Bubonic and Pneumonic plagues
What were some symptoms of the bubonic plague?
Pus filled buboes, headaches and a high temperature
– Spread by the bites of fleas from rats carried on ship
What were some symptoms of the pneumonic plague?
- It attacked the lungs, making it painful to breathe, and
involved victims coughing up blood
– Was airborne, and spread by coughs and sneezes
Why were many of Galen’s ideas about human anatomy incorrect?
He only dissected animals (very different anatomy to humans)
Describe how Astrology was used to diagnose disease
Astrology was the idea that the movements of the planets and stars affected the Earth and people, developed in Arabic medicine and brought to Europe between 1100 and 1300. Medieval doctors owned a type of calendar (called an almanac) which had information on the position of certain planets and stars in a given moment, and how they related to a patient’s illness.
What was the type of handbook used by physicians?
Vade mecums
What was the type of calendar that doctors used to relate the position of planets and stars to a patient’s illness?
An almanac
Why were many hospitals found in monasteries?
Most medieval knowledge of medicine originated from surviving Greek and Roman texts after the fall of the Roman empire. Most of these texts were found in monasteries, and as medicine advanced, people began to associate monasteries with medicine and health.
What could be argued was the general idea towards disease during the Medieval period/Dark ages?
The primary focus was getting rid of symptoms of disease, rather than understanding its causes or origin
What were some seemingly positive effects of bloodletting?
- Lower blood pressure
- Feeling more relaxed and light headed
Why did early hospitals in the Middle Ages have 12 inmates?
(allegedly)
In memory of Jesus’ 12 disciples
- Some hospitals e.g. St Leonard’s in York, could admit up
to 200
Why were no doctors appointed to St Bartholemew’s?
It was believed that patients needed spiritual support rather than medical treatment
(The outward body was often thought to reflect ones
character and soul, and therefore any physical
disfigurement was interpreted to be a result of
sin/immorality)
Describe and explain the positioning of patient’s beds in St Bartholemew’s
They were positioned in such a way that patients could see the alter, as well as other religious statues and images in stained glass windows to help them focus on religion and be healed
why were people afraid of challenging medical books
hint monk
a monk called Roger Bacon was arrested for challenging the books in the 1200s.
why were hospitals seen as palliative
Most medicine in medieval times was palliative (relieve symptoms not cure condition)
what were some of Galen’s theories
- miasma
- theory of opposites
how long did Galens ideas last for
1400
