Medieval medicine Flashcards
What did people believe caused illness and disease in the middle ages?
The four humours, Miasma, Astrology and God
Why did people think you got ill from the four humours?
The believed people got ill when one of the four humours were out of balance. Doctors used to test patients urine to judge if their humours where in balance
Why did people think you got ill from Miasma?
Miasma is bad air and they thought you could catch a disease through the air. Some people linked bad air to filthy streets ( but they couldn’t explain the link)
Why did people think you could get ill from Astrology ?
Doctors believed that the movement of the sun and the planets affected people’s bodies. They used a zodiac chart to work out when to treat each part of the body.
Why did people think you could get ill from god?
Most people believed that illness was sent by god, as a punishment for their sins.
What were the four humours?
Blood, Black bile. Yellow bile and phlegm.
Who created the Theory of the Four Humours?
A doctor from ancient Greece called Hippocrates.
What was the Theory of the Four Humours?
Hippocrates said that the body was made up of four humours and when people became ill these humours were out of balance. In order to treat it they had to get rid of the humour that was in excess.
Who created the Theory of Opposties?
Galen
What did Galen suggest with the Theory of Opposites?
Galen said that doctors should balance the four humours, using the Theory of opposites. For example, is a patient had too much phlegm, then the illness was caused by cold. Galen’s treatment was the opposite - he gave the patients hot food, such as peppers.
What did Galen prove by carrying out experiments on animals such as pigs?
Galen proved the brain controlled speech and that blood was carried around the body by arteries and veins.
What did Galen say about the Theory of Opposites?
That doctors should balance the Humours, using the Theory of opposites . For example if a patient had to-much phlegm, the illness was caused by cold. Galen’s treatment was the opposite- he gave the patient hot food like peppers
What did Galen prove when he carried out experiments on animals such as pigs?
That the brain controlled speech and that blood was carried around the body by the arteries and veins.
Why did Galen carry out dissections of apes and what mistake did this lead to ?
Galen couldn’t use human bodies so he dissected apes to try fine out about anatomy ( the structure of the body). This led to mistakes like the human jaw is made from one bone, not two (as in apes).
How many books did Galen write which covered every aspect of medicine? How many years were these was these books used to train doctors for and why ?
Galen wrote over 350 books. They were used to train doctors for the next 1500 years since most
people believed most books contained all the answers.
Why did few people question Galen’s ideas?
Galen taught that the body had been created by one God and this fitted in with the ideas of the Christian Church.
How was illness treated in the middle ages?
Bleeding, Herbal remedies ,
and Prayer.
What was bleeding?
People were bled regularly to avoid illness. A surgeon or doctor would balance a patient’s humours by letting blood flow form the arm. They sometimes used leeches and cupping.
What were herbal remedies ?
The most common treatments were made from herbs, minerals and animal parts. Some potions/treatments were based on superstitions, but others worked. For example, many included honey which is known to fight infection.
What was prayers?
As illness was seen as a punishment from God, people would pray for members of their family to become better or say prayers while collecting herbs ( in order to increase the effectiveness of the treatment)
Who treated the sick?
Physician(the highest ranking doctors) , Wise women and surgeons/ barber surgeons.
Who did physicians treat, how did they diagnose illness and how were they trained ?
They treated rich people because in 1300, there were fewer than 100 physicians in England. They diagnosed illness by zodiac charts and urine charts (showing is the colour, thickness or the smell of urine meant the humours were out of balance) Bleeding, purging (making the patient vomit) and encouraging excerise and regular washing. They were trained form going to university, reading Galen’s books and watching dissections.
Who did wise women treat, how did they diagnose illness, how did they treat illness and how were they trained ?
They treated family members, people in their local village. They diagnosed illness by observation and previous experiences. They treated illness with herbal remedies.They were trained by the knowledge passed on by their mother or grandmother
Who did Surgeons treat, how did they diagnose illness, how did they treat illness and how were they trained ?
The treated people with small amounts of money, they treated illness by reading books by European or Arab surgeons, They treated illness by bleeding, amputation and they were trained by apprentices to experienced surgeons.
