Middle Ages (1250 - 1500)

Question 1

What were some of the supernatural beliefs of the cause of disease

Answer 1

-Astrological causes (allignment of the planets caused disease, zodiac charts to diagnose)
-Religious beliefs (if someone sinned, god would punish them with illness)
-Witches were causes of disease
-Jewish people were thought to have caused disease

Question 2

When was Hippocrates alive

Answer 2

500BC

Question 3

What theory did Hippocrates create

Answer 3

the 4 humours theory - unbalance of the 4 humours caused disease

Question 4

What were the 4 humours

Answer 4

-blood
-phlegm
-black bile
-yellow bile

Question 5

When was Galen alive

Answer 5

100AD

Question 6

What was the importance of Galen

Answer 6

-The church disallowed any-ne from disporivng Galen, so his mistakes (anatomical and blood-related) couldn’t be correxted.
-Miasma theory : bad air caused by sin lead to disease, popular until germ theory in 1861
-Due to the church’s protection, his ideas went unchallenged for more than 1500 years and this was the foundation of medicine at the time
-He advocated Hippocrates’ 4 humours theory

Question 7

When was the Gutenberg Press invented

Answer 7

1454

Question 8

What was the importance of the invention of the Gutenberg press

Answer 8

-Books
-it allowed for the spread of medical knowledge around the world

Question 9

When was the black death

Answer 9

1348-49

Question 10

Which Irish town’s population was completely wiped out due to the black death

Answer 10

Kilkenny

Question 11

What fraction of the European population was killed

Answer 11

1/3

Question 12

What percentage of Londers died

Answer 12

30-40%

Question 13

What were some common treatments for the black death

Answer 13

-Praying (for forgiveness)
-Sweet herbs (to make the air clean - miasma)
-blood-letting and purging (to balance the 4 humours)
-rubbing bread and pigeons on buboes (superstition)

Question 14

What did people do to prevent the black death

Answer 14

-Flagellation (people whipping themselves for forgiveness from god)
-Repentance
-Kind Edward III ordered for the streets to be cleaned (some idea of public health)
-Rakers cleaned animal waste from the streets
-Butchers were fined for dumping animal waste into the street

Question 15

What were some common treatments during the middle ages

Answer 15

-Blood-letting and purging
-herbal remedies supplied by wise women and apothecaries
-Physicians were trained on Galen’s beliefs
-Barber surgeons had no surgical experience but still perfomed blood-letting and amputations (there were high death rates)
-Flagellation, praying/repentance, zodiac charts

Question 16

What were the 3 problems with surgery during the middle ages

Answer 16

Pain
-No anaesthetia
-only natural anaesthetics (hemlock and alcohol)
Infection
-People could’t discover the link between dirt and disease
-High death rates in surgery as hygiene was poor and surgeons didn’t know to clean their equipment and stations
Blood Loss
-No blood transfusions
-Wounds were often cauterised (skin sewn together through hot iron)

Question 17

What were the thoughts of public health at the time

Answer 17

-Monasteries were hygienic and had clean water and sewage systems
-Ancient Romans built aqueduct, basic sewer systems, baths which improved hygiene and water quality
-Hospitals were overseen by priests, not doctors and treatment was mainly based upon religous superstition