Medieval Medicine Flashcards
Who were wise women?
Women with experience who would use herbal remedies and charms/spells
They were cheap and often helped with childbirth
Most people would go to them
Who were physicians?
Medically trained in uni for 7 years using knowledge from Galen and Hippocrates
They would diagnose illnesses using urine charts, four humours, and atrology
Often ineffective but very expensive
Who were barber surgeons?
No formal training, learnt from experience
They perfromed basic medical procedures such as removing cataracts or pulling out teeth
Not everyone could afford them
Who were apothecaries?
Just like a pharmacist
Understood herbal remedies and mixed various ingredients to produce medicines
What were medieval hospitals like?
Run by monks with no medical knowledge
Offered ‘care not cure’ - provided food, warmth, prayers and clean bedding
What was the 1st hospital that was set up?
1123, St. Bartholomew’s
By 1400, how many hospitals were there across England?
500
What years was the Medieval period between?
1250-1500
What were the beliefs about what caused illness?
Miasma, god, supernatural, astrology, the four humours
What factors affected progress?
Church - controlled education, banned dissection, supported Hippocrates and Galen’s ideas, people didn’t want to challenge the church
Tradition - many people just supported tradition and traditional ideas, didn’t want change
When was the Black Death?
1348
What was the life expectancy?
35
What was regimin sanitatis?
Avoiding stress
Exercising
Eating a healthy diet
Bathing regularly
