Medieval medicine: causes of disease Flashcards
What were the four ideas that people in medieval England believed were the causes of disease?
The Four Humours
Miasma
God/religion
Astrology
What were the Four Humours?
Blood
Phlegm
Black bile
Yellow bile
How did people think the Four Humours caused disease?
If they were out of balance
What is miasma?
Bad air
Why did people think God made them ill?
As a punishment or to test their faith
What did people think was the link between astrology and disease?
The alignment of the planets and stars caused disease
Who invented the Theory of the Four Humours?
Hippocrates
Where does the word “humour” come from?
The Greek word humon, meaning fluid
Who developed the Theory of Opposites, linked to the Four Humours?
Galen
Give two examples of treatments linked to the Theory of Opposites
Too much phlegm could be cured by eating hot peppers
A fever could be treated with cucumber to cool down the patient
How did Galen suggest the humours could be balanced?
Through exercise and a good diet
What did people in medieval England give to the Church each month?
A tithe (sum of money), used to pay for basic medical care
How did the Church explain why people recovered from disease?
God had responded to their prayers
What did Roger Bacon suggest in the 13th century?
Doctors should do their own research instead of learning from Galen’s books
How did the Church respond to Roger Bacon’s ideas that doctors should do their own research?
They put him in prison
