Medieval medicine Flashcards

Question

What was trepanning, and what does it reveal about surgery and beliefs in the medieval period?

Answer 1

- Trepanning was a surgical procedure where a hole was drilled or cut into the skull. - It was based on the supernatural belief that illness (especially mental illness or seizures) was caused by evil spirits, which could be released through the opening. - Most patients died, but archaeological evidence shows that some skulls had bone regrowth, meaning a few survived. - While the operation itself was based on incorrect beliefs, the fact that some patients lived suggests early surgeons had a surprising level of skill and knowledge of basic surgical techniques. - Trepanning shows the blend of supernatural ideas with emerging practical skills in early medicine.

Answer 2

Cauterisation was a method used to stop bleeding by burning the wound. Involved heating a metal rod or knife in a fire and pressing it onto the wound to seal blood vessels. Advantages: - Could prevent blood loss in emergency cases, such as amputations or battlefield injuries. Disadvantages and risks: - Caused extreme pain, as there were no effective anaesthetics. - High risk of infection due to lack of hygiene and knowledge of germs. - Could lead to further complications or death. Shows how medieval surgery was often brutal and dangerous, even when it aimed to help the patient.

Answer 3

Medieval surgeons experimented with herbal anaesthetics to reduce pain during surgery. Common ingredients included: - Opium - Hemlock -Henbane These substances could knock a patient unconscious, but were dangerous and unpredictable. - Overdoses could lead to death, while too little had no effect. Most surgeries were done without anaesthetics — patients were usually held down by assistants. Reflects the limited understanding of dosage, anatomy, and the nervous system. Surgery remained a last resort due to the pain, infection risk, and lack of effective anaesthesia.

Answer 4

- John Bradmore was a surgeon during the reign of Henry IV. - He treated Prince Henry (Henry V) after he was shot in the cheek by an arrow. - Bradmore used honey and wine as antiseptics to prevent infection in the wound. - He invented a medical instrument to safely remove the arrowhead. - The prince made a full recovery, becoming Henry V. - Bradmore later wrote about his methods, allowing other surgeons to learn from his techniques and improving knowledge sharing in surgery.

Answer 5

- Hugh and Theodoric of Lucca were Italian surgeons who questioned Galen's ideas about wound healing. - Galen believed that pus in a wound was a sign of healing, but the Luccas disagreed. - They used wine to clean wounds, recognising its antiseptic properties. - Theodoric of Lucca also experimented with herbal remedies as anaesthetics. - Their approach helped to advance wound treatment and laid the groundwork for more scientific approaches to infection control.

Answer 6

Barber-surgeons in medieval Britain were responsible for basic surgery in addition to cutting hair. Their duties included: - Tooth extraction - Amputations - Bloodletting They were often the first line of medical care for common people. During wartime, barber-surgeons also worked with the army, treating injured soldiers on the battlefield. Although their work was limited by a lack of advanced medical knowledge, they played a key role in emergency care and surgical procedures.

Answer 7

- The Romans built public health facilities like baths, toilets, fountains, and sewers across Britain in the 1st century. - After the Romans left, these facilities either fell into disrepair or were deliberately destroyed by those wanting to remove the remains of the Roman Empire. - The loss of these public health systems had serious consequences, including: - Increased sanitation problems - The spread of disease, particularly due to the lack of waste disposal systems.

Answer 8

- In London, public toilets were built on a bridge over the River Thames to allow waste to be washed away. - However, many households had private toilets that emptied directly onto streets, or used buckets to dispose of waste. - Wealthier individuals had pits for toilets, emptied by gongfermers, but waste was often improperly disposed of, leading to: - Human waste on streets - Spread of disease in towns and cities. - Gongfermers sometimes dumped waste into rivers or nearby areas instead of taking it outside the city.

Answer 9

- Butchers in towns and cities were allowed to slaughter animals but often dumped animal waste in the streets or rivers. - Open drains ran down streets, washing waste into rivers. However, in dry summers, this waste remained piled in the streets, leading to: - Attraction of rats, which spread disease. - Sanitation issues that contributed to the Black Death in the 14th century.

Answer 10

Punishments were introduced to try to reduce rubbish dumping: - In 1309, a 40p fine (about £400 today) was introduced for anyone caught dumping rubbish in the streets. - Butchers were banned from slaughtering animals in the streets. These measures were part of efforts by local authorities to improve public health and cleanliness, but they were often ineffective without more widespread sanitation reform.

Answer 11

To address the poor conditions, the following jobs were created in London: - Gongfermers were responsible for emptying cesspits and removing waste from the city, though sometimes they improperly disposed of it. - Muck rakers were paid to clean the streets of waste and debris. - Surveyors of the pavement were hired to inspect and clear rubbish from the pavements. These jobs reflected a growing recognition of the need to address the sanitary conditions in urban areas, though they often lacked the resources to fully solve the problem.

Answer 12

- There were over 1,000 monasteries in England throughout the medieval period, spread across the country. - Monasteries provided free healthcare to people in need, as there was no government-provided healthcare at the time. - They were important centres for the preservation of ancient medical knowledge, including the works of Galen and Hippocrates, which were copied and passed on by monks. - This made monasteries vital in maintaining and spreading medical knowledge, which later influenced the Renaissance and the development of medicine.

Answer 13

- Monasteries and abbeys were religious communities run by monks and nuns. - They generally had cleaner and more hygienic conditions compared to towns, as they often had running water, typically sourced from nearby rivers. - The rivers were used for both waste disposal and providing clean drinking water. - Every monastery had a library, where monks would copy out works from ancient scholars like Galen and Hippocrates, ensuring the preservation of medical knowledge. - This preservation was crucial in maintaining important texts, which were later built upon during the Renaissance, helping to shape the future of medicine and science.

Answer 14

- Monasteries typically had an infirmary to treat monks, nuns, and abbots/abbesses, as well as local people. - Monks and nuns provided care, as there were no trained physicians available in monasteries. - Treatments were often based on the belief that illness was caused by God or by an imbalance in the four humours. - Prayers were said for patients as part of their spiritual care. - Bloodletting was practised as a way to restore balance to the humours, following Galen’s ideas about medicine.

Answer 15

The Black Death in 1348-1349 was likely caused by two diseases: - Bubonic plague, which caused buboes (swollen lumps) under the armpits, neck, and groin. It was spread by rats carrying fleas, which bit humans, spreading the disease. - Pneumonic plague, which was spread by coughs and sneezes, and had a mortality rate of nearly 100%. Bubonic plague was believed to have been brought to England by rats on ships from China

Answer 16

People in medieval Britain had no knowledge of germs, leading to various theories about the causes of the Black Death: 1. Miasma – the belief that bad air spread disease. 2. An imbalance in the four humours, following Galen’s theories. 3. Witchcraft, believed by some to be the cause of the disease. 4. A punishment from God, due to people's religious beliefs.

Answer 17

Various methods were used to prevent and treat the Black Death, including: 1. Flagellants whipped themselves to show penance for their sins. 2. People prayed for divine intervention, hoping God would cure the illness. 3. Bloodletting, based on the idea of balancing the four humours, was a common treatment. 4. To combat miasma, people carried herbs or flower petals to avoid the smell of the streets. 5. Physicians used a range of herbal remedies, though these were largely ineffective.

Answer 18

- The Black Death had a devastating impact, killing up to half the population of Europe. - In medieval medicine, the focus shifted to trying to find effective cures for the disease. - However, when the plague reappeared in 1665, similar ideas were still used, showing that there was no greater understanding of disease than in 1348-1349, over 300 years earlier.