Medieval Medicine Flashcards
who would you go to if you were ill?
Barber surgeons wise women/men Quacks monks trained doctors/physicians
Barber Surgeons
they did bloodletting, minor surgery and amputations
Wise Women/men
gave first aid, herbal remedies, supernatural charms and spells based on traditions.
their knowledge was based on word of mouth and experience
Quacks
traveling healers that sold miraculous medicines that did not do what they said they did
Monks
herbal treatments, bloodletting, pray and rest in the infirmary
Monks often had herbal gardens in the monasteries
Knowledge from ancient books like Pliny’s Natural History
Trained Doctors
knowledge from textbooks such as Galen and Hippocrates
very few doctors
charged service fees
studied for at least 7 years at universities controlled by the Church
Popular treatments
Bloodletting, prayers, herbs, pilgrimages, purging/vomiting, whipping (Flagellants), getting rid of bad smells (Miasma)
Popular diagnosis methods
Urine charts, zodiac charts
Hippocrates - contributions to medicine
Four Humours needed to be in balance (blood, phlegm, yellow/back bile)
one of the first to use clinical observation (using reasoning and observation)
viewed the body as a whole, understood that illness can effect multiple parts of the body
Hippocrates - links to religion
believed doctor’s and priest’s work is separate
illness had a natural cause not a supernatural or Godly cause
Hippocrates - links to modern medicine
“Hippocratic Oath” states the obligations of good conduct
clinical observation
he kept a record of observations, using it later to improve treatment (trial and error)
Galen - work
continued the idea of the Four Humours
dissected pigs and monkeys believing they were similar to humans in anatomy
Galen - links to religion
Church encouraged to study Galen as he referred to the “Creator” in his work and believed in one God
anyone challenging Galen would be seen as challenging the Church
Arrested by the Church
Roger Bacon: in 1277
(monk/lecturer) at Oxford University was arrested for spreading anti-Church views after questioning the Church’s stance on Galen
Reasons for bad health
- keeping towns clean was the local councils’ job which
- they had little money for (taxes were low)
- 90% people worked as farmers (little time for education)
- animal dung and their butchery created a lot of dirt ing the street (transport mainly via horses)
- Church had great influence
Church’s beliefs about medicine
Should follow Jesus’ example and care for the sick
God has sent illness as punishment or test of faith (so curing is against God’s will)
Prayers are more important than medicine or drugs
Pilgrimages would lead to miraculous healing
Church’s influence
Controlled all of education so decided to based teaching on Galen’s and ancient Greek work
Discouraged people to challenge traditional ideas
Popular beliefs about causes of illness
God - a punishment sent by God,
the Doctrine of Signatures: god created treatments alongside illness (plants/herbs)
Four Humour - illness came because the Four Humours were out of balance
Bad Smells - (Miasma) people saw a link and thought bad smells infected people and made them ill
Supernatural - planets being out of line or 4 elements had to be in harmony (earth, air, fire, water)
Everyday - people thought illness and premature death was inevitable
