Medieval Medicine

Question 1

What did Hippocrates do?

Answer 1

Invented the theory of 4 humours, believed in observation, encourage healthy diet and rest

Question 2

How significant was Hippocrates?

Answer 2

Very significant. Every doctor has to sign the Hippocratic Oath and take observations. People also followed his ideas for many years.

Question 3

What did Galen do?

Answer 3

Invented the theory of opposites which developed on Hippocrate’s work.

Question 4

How significant was Galen?

Answer 4

Very significant. Followed for many years so his ideas influenced medicine for a very long time. Doctors now understand the human body easier; his books are used for education and patients’ pulses are checked.

Question 5

What were some religious ideas surrounding causes of disease?

Answer 5

God is punishing society for being sinful, sending plague to remind them of their duty to the church and creating plants and herbs to cure these diseases and illnesses. People also used flagellation to beg God for forgiveness.

Question 6

What was the belief of miasma?

Answer 6

Miasma is bad air that causes disease; comes from human waste and dead bodies. People removed bad smells to avoid disease by cleaning the streets e.g. King Edward ordered this in 1349 during the plague.

Question 7

What was the theory of four humours?

Answer 7

If one humour is out of balance, you’ll become ill. Doctors used zodiac charts to treat people.

Question 8

How did the Church help medical progression?

Answer 8

Believed it was an important duty to look after sick and poor, set up 160 hospitals in 12-13th centuries, ensured old Islamic texts survived.

Question 9

How did the Church hinder medical progression?

Answer 9

Believed disease was a punishment from God, insisted on Galen’s work which had limited understanding, refused dissection, arrested those who questioned Galen e.g. Roger Bacon 1277.

Question 10

What was the Church’s ‘care not cure’ attitude?

Answer 10

The Church were reluctant to cure the sick because they believed God was punishing them for their sins. People did not want to challenge God, so they looked after people instead of curing them.

Question 11

How did Islam help medical progression?

Answer 11

Wrote books about surgery and medicine, encourage good diet/exercise/hygiene and caring for the sick.

Question 12

How did Islam hinder medical progression?

Answer 12

Based ideas of Hippocrates and Galen, limited knowledge to insides of body as they didn’t believe in dissection.

Question 13

What did Abulcasis do?

Answer 13

Considered the father of surgery. He produced a book about operations illustrating over 200 surgical instruments. He also made cauterisation popular.

Question 14

What did Al-Razi do?

Answer 14

Wrote over 50 books on Hippocrates and Galen’s ideas which were used for centuries. He emphasized the importance of diagnosis - guided doctors on how to diagnose measles and smallpox.

Question 15

What did Guy De Chauliac do?

Answer 15

Believed infection was a good thing. Wrote ‘Great Surgery’ in 1363 which dominated French and English surgical knowledge for 200 years.

Question 16

What did John of Arderne do?

Answer 16

He used opium and henbane to dull pain. He wrote ‘Practica’ in 1376 which contained illustrations of operations and instruments and based knowledge from war and Greek/Arab knowledge. Tried to separate surgeons and barbers by creating a work association.

Question 16

Did Guy De Chauliac have an impact?

Answer 16

Yes! His textbooks were used for ages; he was one of the most famous surgeons of Medieval England. However, he believed infection was a good thing which was incorrect.

Question 16

Did John of Arderne have an impact?

Answer 16

Yes! He created the Guild of Surgeons and became the most famous surgeon in Medieval England.

Question 16

Did Abulcasis have an impact?

Answer 16

Yes! He made cauterisation popular and invented many surgical instruments, making him the ‘father of modern surgery’.

Question 17

Where did most surgeries take place?

Answer 17

On the battlefield.

Question 18

What were some common practices for Medieval Surgeons?

Answer 18

Amputation, bloodletting and tooth extraction.

Question 19

How successful were Medieval Surgeries?

Answer 19

Very unsuccessful, barber surgeons used dirty tools which infected people as they were unaware of germs; however, they did make some progress as Latin books were translated into English to educate surgeons and pioneers tried new surgical methods.

Question 20

What were some problems with public health in the Middle Ages?

Answer 20

Waste dumped on streets and river (which was used as drinking water) and people lived together in cramped spaces.

Question 21

How did Coventry rapidly improve public health in the Middle Ages?

Answer 21

Cleared waste in the streets by fining people who didn’t clean the front of their house, created specific waste areas outside city walls and had waste collectors annually take waste to outside the city. They also banned waste disposal in River Sherbourne.

Question 22

Why did monasteries have better public health than towns?

Answer 22

Had a clean water supply (they believed in being clean and pure to be closer to God), instructed to bathe as part of religious duties, had toilets which led waste away and had isolated areas away from germs (miasma).

Question 23

When did the Black Death arrive and from where?

Answer 23

In 1348 from China and trade routes.

Question 24

How many people died from the Black Death in England?

Answer 24

200 people a day being buried; 1/3 of the whole population.

Question 25

What was the cause of the Black Death?

Answer 25

An outbreak of the bubonic plague caused by fleas (spread bacteria from rats to people).

Question 26

What was the believed cause of the Black Death?

Answer 26

The position of stars and planets, miasma and Jewish people.

Question 27

How did the Black Death spread and what did authorities do to try and prevent it?

Answer 27

It spread because towns and ports were very crowded and filled with waste; so they quarantined people with the plague.

Question 28

What were some treatments for the Black Death?

Answer 28

Popping open buboes and drinking mercury.

Question 29

What were some economic impacts of the Black Death?

Answer 29

People starving to death (less income), crops turning to ruin as there were no peasants to harvest them. Lords were desperate, so encouraged peasants to come and work with them as they could demand higher wages.

Question 30

What were some social impacts of the Black Death?

Answer 30

Crop failure = hardship as there was less food available. Peasants began to challenge Feudal system.

Question 31

What were some religious impacts of the Black Death?

Answer 31

Some believed God protected them from plague. Less people alive to work for the Church. Catholic Church less influential as people were angry; they were deserted by Churchmen.

Question 32

What were some political impacts of the Black Death?

Answer 32

Long-term impact was the Peasant’s Revolt (uprising because of taxes and hardship). Widespread persecution of minorities (e.g. Jews and foreigners). Statute of Labourers introduced which said peasants shouldn’t move towns or have higher wages (1351).