Medieval - Middle Ages (1250-5000) Flashcards
Religion - God (CAUSE)
God caused disease in order to punish sinners.
Supernatural - Astrology (CAUSE)
The alignment of planets and stars could cause illness. Physicians commonly consulted star charts in order to diagnose and specify the cause of an illness.
Theory of the Four Humours (CAUSE)
Theory founded by the Greek doctor Hippocrates - people believed that when we became ill it was because the humours were unbalanced - yellow bile, black bile, blood, phlegm.
Theory of Opposites
Founded by Galen, a Roman doctor, who was greatly inspired by Hippocrates. Galen also believed in the Four Humours. He suggested that with the aim of balancing the four humours, you should give the patient the ‘opposite’ of their symptoms. For example, if you had too much phlegm which was linked to water and cold, you should eat hot peppers.
MIASMA (CAUSE) - SO BIG
This idea continued well into the Middle Ages all the way to the 19th century.
Disease was transmitted by bad air. This was also related to God, because bad smells indicated sin.
Rational Treatments - in response to the Four Humours
1) Bloodletting - it was either done by cutting a vein, using leeches or by cupping. Occasionally bloodletting was done by physicians but most probably barber-surgeons.
2) Purging - another treatment used to re-balance the humours. It either involved making the patient vomit or go to the toilet. Emetics or laxatives were mixed by apothecaries.
Religious Treatments
Praying; Fasting; Going on a pilgrimage; Paying for a special Mass to be said
Rational Preventions
- Bathing and washing - hygiene
- Regimen Sanitatis - A set of instructions
to maintain health - Bleeding and Purging
- Purifying the air - in response to miasma
- Diet - not overeating
- Trying to keep the streets clean
Religious Preventions
- Praying
- Going to Church
- Confession
- Donate to Church
- FLAGELLATION
- PILGRIMAGE
- Chanting Incantations
- Carrying Lucky Chamrs
Traditional Remedies
Herbal remedies mixed and sold by apothecaries which were drunk, sniffed or bathed in. This idea continued on till the Industrial Revolution.
Remedies also included different foods to rebalance the humours and ointments to apply to the skin.
Physicians
- Observed a patient’s symptoms and checked their pulse, skin colour, and urine.
- Consulted urine charts in their vademecum (handbook).
- Consulted star charts to help diagnose the illness.
- They very scarcely treated the patients themselves or usually sent them to a barber-surgeon or apothecary.
- ONLY AFFORDED BY THE UPPER CLASSES.
Barber-Surgeons
Untrained in medicine but was able to carry out blood-letting, pulling teeth, lancing boils and few minor operations such as amputations, although these surgeries were very rarely successful.
Cost less than a physician.
Apothecaries
- Received training but no medical
qualifications. - Mixed medicines and ointments based on
their own knowledge or directions of a
physician.
Care In The Home
- Most ill people throughout this period
were treated at home by a female family
member. - The village wise women would also
attend people in their homes for free.
Hospitals
Generally run by Churches or monastries - emphasis on God and healing souls rather than using medical knowledge.
- People with infectious diseases or
incurable conditions weren’t admitted.
- Travellers and pilgrims stayed here on
their journeys, and rested as well as
received care.
- Fresh food and plenty of rest
- Some hospitals were built for specific
diseases although they were typically
places of recuperation rather than places
where patients were treated.
