medieval medicine Flashcards
who would you go to for medical advice in a medieval town?
barber surgeon, wise women, healer, physician
who is a barber surgeon?
did bloodletting, minor surgery, teeth extraction, amputation
who’s a wise women?
herbal remedies, supernatural cures based on tradition
whos an apothecary?
a herbalist, uses herbal treatments
who’s a physician?
a trained doctor, treated using hippocrates and galenic methods from british textbooks, charged fees, studied at least seven years
what natural methods did doctors use?
-clinical observations checking pulse and urine
-four humours
what supernatural methods did doctors use?
-position of the stars
-recommended charms and prayers
what did medieval doctors base their natural cures on?
on the ancient greek theory of illness, the equal balance of the body’s four humours
what did medieval doctors believe about the four humours?
that a person became ill when they were out of balance and the doctors job was to restore the balance
what were the four humours?
phlegm, blood, yellow bile, black bile
