Medieval Medicine Flashcards
Which organisation had the most control over medicine in the Middle Ages?
The Church
Which ancient doctors ideas were still widely used?
Galen
Why did the Church support the work of Galen?
Because in his work he spoke of an ‘intelligent designer’ the Church took this to mean God.
Which theory were physicians trained in using?
The Theory of the Four Humours
What were the main believed causes of disease?
An imbalance of humors, miasma, Gods punishment
Why was bloodletting and purging used?
The balance a patients humours
Why did people attempt to purify the air?
To remove miasma
What could apothecaries sell to patients?
Herbal remedies
What medical professionals existed for people in the Middle Ages?
Physicians (highly trained doctors who had been to university) Apothecary (no formal training and sold herbal remedies) Barbers surgeons (Least qualified and performed simple operations and blood letting) Wise woman (no formal training and relied on personal experience, often acted as a midwife)
Who ran the medieval hospitals?
The Church and it was staffed primarily by monks and nuns
What was the main focus of medieval hospitals?
Care not cure (Only God was allowed to decide who would be cured)
What were the positives of medieval hospitals?
They provided a safe place for people to rest.
Patients were given regular meals and allowed to rest, this would have helped people to recover from minor illnesses
What were the negatives of medieval hospitals?
No medical treatments offered
Patients sometimes had to share beds leading to cross contamination
Lack of understanding of bacteria
People with serious illnesses were not allowed into hospitals
Why could people not question the work of Galen?
Because the Church was too powerful and might have declared them a heretic
How was the Church able to control the spread of information?
Most books were copied out by monks meaning only books that matched the views of the Catholic Church were ever copied and circulated