Medieval Medicine Flashcards
what was miasma?
the belief that bad smells were causing disease
what was the 4 humours?
the belief that the body was made up of black bile, yellow bile, blood and phlegm and an imbalance of these things caused disease
what was the theory of opposites?
you needed to do the opposite of what was wrong to balance out the 4 humours e.g eat chillies if you had a cold
why did people think religion was a cause of disease?
god punished people for their sins or to test their faith
why did people think astology was a cause of disease?
the alignment of the planets and peoples star signs determined when they were going to get ill
who were galen and hippocrates?
Greek physicians
what was bloodletting?
the removal of ‘bad’ blood from the body usually using leeches, cutting the vein or cupping
what was purging?
clearng the body of bad substances using either a laxative or an emetic
what was used as a laxative?
linseeds
what was used as an emetic?
aniseed or parsley
what herbs were common for making herbal remedies?
aloe vera, mint and camomile
what were people encouraged to do to prevent illness?
take care of their bodies by exercising, sleeping, keeping clean, breathing clean air and avoiding stress
how was the air purified?
sweet herbs and carrying flowers
how long did it take to get a medical degree
attended university for at least 7 years to gain a medical degree
doctors studied the ideas of Galen
what did physicians do in medieval England?
diagnosed illness and suggested a treatment
studied patients’ urine and star charts
treatments rarely worked
what did apothecaries do?
mixed herbal remedies
used supernatural treatments
how did apothecaries gain their knowledge?
from experience; either their own or passed down from family members
why were apothecaries more common than doctors?
they were more affordable
what did barber surgeons do?
performed simple surgery using a sharp knife such as bloodletting or pulling teeth
who owned 30% of hospitals?
the church
who ran hospitals?
monasteries
what did hospitals focus on? Why?
providing care rather than treatment
it was gods will if people died
what type of patients were rejected?
infectious, insane and pregnant women
where were the majority of the sick treated?
at home
