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Medieval Medicine Flashcards

(78 cards)

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1
Q

Who invented the theory of the four humours

A

Hippocrates

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2
Q

What were the four humours

A

Yellow bile, black bile, blood, phlegm

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3
Q

How were the four humours believed to cause illness

A

Being unbalanced

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4
Q

How many books did Galen write

A

350

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5
Q

How did Galen develop the theory of the four humours

A

Theory of Opposites

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6
Q

Between which years was the medieval period

A

1250-1500

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7
Q

What believed cause of disease was bad air filled with harmful fumes

A

Miasma

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8
Q

What three things would physicians check in urine when diagnosing patients

A

Smell, colour, taste

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9
Q

What two reasons did people think God would send illness for

A

Punishment
Test of faith

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10
Q

Which institution controlled book publishing and medical education

A

The Church

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11
Q

Why was human dissection banned

A

The Church believed the body needed to be buried whole in order for the soul to go to heaven

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12
Q

What was a believed cause of disease studying the alignments of planets / stars

A

Astrology

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13
Q

What were the three most common religious treatments

A

Prayer
Fasting
Pilgrimage

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14
Q

What was the most common treatment to balance the humours

A

Bloodletting

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15
Q

What was a phlebotomy chart

A

Chart that showed areas of the body where bleeding was recommended for specific illnesses

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16
Q

What did enemas, emetics and laxatives do to balance the humours

A

Purge the body

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17
Q

What was a theriaca

A

Common herbal remedy that could contain up to 70 ingredients

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18
Q

What herbal remedy was prescribed to improve digestion

A

Aloe Vera

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19
Q

What was prescribed to help dissolve blockages in the humours

A

Bathing

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20
Q

What was a Regimen Sanitatis

A

Loose set of instructions to advise people on healthy living

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21
Q

How did medieval people stay clean

A

Bathing and washing hands regularly

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22
Q

Herb used to prevent miasma

A

Lavender

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23
Q

What was a pomander

A

Locket full of herbs to prevent miasma

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24
Q

Who often looked after the sick in their own communities

A

Women

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25
What were university-trained doctors known as until the 17th century?
Physicians
26
Why did ordinary people not usually see physicians
Rare and expensive
27
What was an apothecary
Early chemist who mixed herbal remedies
28
Who performed small surgeries such as pulling teeth and bleeding patients
Barber surgeons
29
What did medieval hospitals focus on
Care not cure
30
What institution ran most medieval hospitals
Church
31
How many hospitals were there in England by 1500
1100
32
What types of patient were often turned away from medieval hospitals
Infectious or terminally ill
33
When did the Black Death arrive in England
1348
34
What proportion of the population did the Black Death kill
One third
35
How quickly did the Black Death usually kill someone
3-5 days
36
What was the main natural believed cause of the Black Death
Miasma
37
What did priests advise people to do during the Black Death
Pray Go on pilgrimage Self-flagellation
38
During the Black Death how long did people new to an area have to stay away from others for
40 days
39
What new technology was invented in the medieval period
The printing press However had limited impact until the Renaissance
40
Why did social attitudes hold back medical progress
People were deeply religious and didn’t question church teachings
41
Most commonly believed causes
Punishment from God Four humours
42
Most common treatments
Prayer Bloodletting
43
Most common preventions
Prayer Tithes Regimen Sanitatis
44
What are the main factors which encourage or inhibit change
Individuals The Church Societal attitudes The government Science / technology
45
What % of the population of England was killed by the Black Death
40%
46
What did people believe caused the Black Death
Punishment from God Unusual alignment of planets Imbalance of humours Miasma
47
What was bubonic plague
A contagious and fatal epidemic disease characterised by fever, vomiting and buboes
48
What were flagellants
Religious believers who whipped themselves to repent of their sins and ask for God’s forgiveness to avoid plague
49
What were treatments for the Black Death
Prayer Bloodletting, purging Smelling herbs to prevent miasma Lancing buboes
50
How did people try to prevent the spread of the Black Death
Prayer, pilgrimage and fasting Self-flagellation Posies of herbs and flowers Streets kept cleaner Quarantine of victims
51
Why did the church promote the teachings of Galen
His theories fitted Christian beliefs that the body had a soul and all parts had been created by God to work together
52
Why did knowledge of anatomy not increase in the medieval period
Dissections rare Anything that contradicted Galen would be ignored
53
Who was Galen
Claudius Galen - Greek doctor in Ancient Rome His ideas formed the basis of medieval medical ideas Developed Hippocrates’ ideas Drew diagrams of human anatomy
54
Who was Hippocrates
Ancient Greek doctor He believed there was a physical reason for illness which needed a physical cure Most treatments based on diet, exercise and rest, but also bleeding / purging Wrote Hippocratic Oath
55
What rational methods were used as prevention in medieval period
Keeping streets clean Bathing / washing Purifying air Bleeding / purging Exercising
56
What were barber surgeons like
Not trained - learned practically Bloodletting, pulling teeth, also cut hair Basic surgery eg amputation - low success rate Cheaper than physicians
57
What were apothecaries like
Training but no medical qualifications Mixed medicines based on their own knowledge or directions from physician Cost less than physicians
58
What were physicians like
Trained at university and passed exams Diagnoses illnesses and gave treatments or sent patients to apothecary / surgeon Expensive and rare
59
What was care in the home like
Most ill people treated at home by family member Village “wise woman”, often lady of the manor, would also tend to people
60
What did physicians do
Observed patient’s symptoms and checked their pulse, skin colour + urine Consulted urine charts Consulted zodiac charts Either treated them or sent them to a barber surgeon / apothecary
61
What were hospitals like
Many were places where travellers / pilgrims stayed Number increased during Middle Ages Infectious or terminally ill people not admitted usually Places of recuperation rather than cure Clean, patients given fresh food and rest
62
What were symptoms of the Black Death
Swellings filled with pus (buboes) Fever and chills Headache Vomiting or diarrhoea
63
What was the Hippocratic Collection
Contains books which doctors used for centuries, detailing lists of symptoms and treatments
64
How did Hippocrates contribute to observing and recording
Showed importance of observing and recording symptoms and development of diseases
65
Why was sickness common in the medieval period
Poor nutrition (especially at times of famine) Poor healthcare / understanding of disease Hard physical labour Crowded towns with no drains meant disease spread quickly
66
What proportion of people died before adulthood
Nearly half
67
What was trepanning
Drilling hole into skull to let the demon out
68
What was cauterisation
Burning the wound to stop the flow of blood
69
Physicians were respected and educated but…
Their treatments were often ineffective
70
Herbal remedies often made people feel better but…
Didn’t treat the cause of disease
71
What % of hospitals were owned by the church
30%
72
What was an endowment
When a wealthy person left money in their will to set up a hospital
73
What were lazar houses
Special hospitals to look after people with leprosy
74
What were quack doctors
Unqualified people who claimed to have medical knowledge and sold fake cures
75
Define contagion
Spread of disease between people
76
Why was there continuity in medicine in the medieval period
Church wanted to keep things the same - emphasised Galen because his ideas fit their teachings Physicians made discoveries fit old theories rather than experimenting Printing press had little effect Attitudes of normal people
77
Define phlebotomy
Cutting someone and bleeding them to try and treat an imbalance in the humours
78
Why did low literacy rates cause continuity
Most people couldn’t read or write so depended on the church for education

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