medieval medicine

Question 1

what was the religious belief that disease was caused by

Answer 1

disease was sent from god as a punishment and not keeping clean would increase your chance of getting diseases / illness as it would make god angry

Question 2

what are examples of rational thinking about causes of sesease

Answer 2

• miasma (bad air)
• contagion (diseases could be caught / passed on)
• urine (checked by doctors to diagnose)
• humors (bodily fluids that could become out of balance)

Question 3

what kind cures or surgery was avalabe

Answer 3

• visiting an apothecary who would produce herbal remedies

- visiting a barber who could remove cataracts, set broken bone or remove an arrow

Question 4

what was the problem with cures and surgery that the church caused

Answer 4

the church controlled all of the educational material and so they only taught the methods they wanted to, this lead to more accurate teaches not being learnt and many people dying because of surgery / blood loss

Question 5

how did people try to prevent gaining an illness

Answer 5

• they would wear more clothing to try and stop the miasma from getting into their bodies
• people would also avoid people such as people with leprosy

Question 6

what were hospitals like at the time

Answer 6

• patients shared beds
• pregnant and insane were often rejected
• priests / monks performed spiritual care
• treatment was limited as physicians and surgeons were not employed