Middle Ages Flashcards
Why was the Church so powerful in the Middle Ages?
The Church was very powerful in the Middle Ages because it provided a variety of support to the community and people relied heavily on it. This included providing education (most people could not read or write and so relied on the Churches teachings) and health care. In addition, the Church were very wealthy as they received 10% of people’s wages. This was called a tithe.
What were societal attitudes towards religion and the Church in the Middle Ages?
During the Middle Ages people were extremely religious. This meant that they followed the teachings of the Church as they wanted to ensure that they went to Heaven when they died. People were also afraid of going to Hell and therefore did not want to challenge the Church and the ideas that they taught, such as about medicine.
What did Galen teach and why did people believe his ideas in the Middle Ages?
Galen, a Roman physician, taught ideas such as the Theory of the Four Humours, which he developed from Hippocrates. This idea was that the body was made up of four different humours (substances) and if they became imbalanced a person would become ill.
People believed Galen because his ideas were taught by the Church, who liked that Galen said that the body had a soul. Galen also had many ideas about the body, such as suggesting that blood was made in the liver.
What did people believe caused disease in the period 1250-1500?
Four Humours - People believed that If their Four Humours became imbalanced then they would get ill.
Miasma - Miasma was a bad smell that could cause disease by imbalancing the humours.
God - People believed God sent disease as a punishment for sin or to test people’s faith
Astrology - People believed the alignment of the stars could explain illness, such as where the planets were when a patient was born or got ill.
What methods of treatment were used in the Middle Ages?
Religious - Prayer, paying for a special mass, fasting and pilgrimages were all used to try and say sorry for sin to treat disease.
Blood-letting - Different types of bleeding were used to balance the four humours, such as cutting a vein, cupping or using leeches to suck the blood.
Purging - Humours were balanced by giving something to make patients vomit or go to the toilet.
Remedies - Herbal remedies were given to patients to sniff, drink or bathe in, including theriaca, a remedy made of many different herbs and spices.
Bathing - Warm baths were regularly prescribed to help dissolve blockages in the humours.
What methods of prevention were used in the Middle Ages?
Religious - The Church taught that living a life free from sin, with regular prayers, helped prevent disease.
Diet - What you ate was considered very important in preventing an imbalance of the humours. Eating too much was strongly discouraged, and Hippocrates recommended an enema a fortnight in the winter.
Purifying the air - People would spread sweet herbs such as lavender, carry a posy of flowers, or place herbs inside a pomander (a large locket) which was worn on the waist.
Regimen Sanitatis - A loose set of instructions provided to help people maintain good health. Instructions included regular bathing and exercise. Wealthy people could pay for specific instructions from a physician.
Who were the different medical practitioners in the Middle Ages?
Physicians - Medieval doctors were known as physicians. They would have at least 7 years of training at university, where they learned mainly from books. Physicians were very expensive, and their job was to diagnose illness. They would do this by looking at samples of urine, faeces and blood, and studying astrological charts.
Apothecaries - Apothecaries mixed herbal remedies, and had knowledge from herbal manuals (books) such as Materia Medica, as well as from family members. They would mainly provide remedies, but also prescribed poison or charms. This was frowned upon by the Church.
Barber surgeons - Barbers often doubled up as surgeons, and would carry out blood-letting and small surgeries.
What was the focus of Hospital care in the period 1250-1500?
In the Middle Ages hospitals were more focused on offering hospitality to travellers and pilgrims, rather than treating the sick. Hospitals were usually run by the Church, with nuns making sure that everywhere was kept clean, and priests offering medical treatment such as prayer. Many people were also turned away by hospitals, including the insane, pregnant or terminally ill. By 1500 there were around 1,100 hospitals.
Where were people mainly cared for in the Middle Ages?
As hospitals were not always aimed at helping the sick, most people were actually cared for at home. It was expected that women would care for their relatives and dependents when needed, including preparing food and mixing herbal remedies. Women would also be responsible for the garden, in which they grew various plants known for healing, such as marigolds.
What did people think caused the Black Death of 1348?
Religious - People believed the Black Death was caused by God deserting mankind.
Supernatural - There was an unusual positioning of the planets in 1345.
Impure air - People believed that impure air may have come from poisonous fumes released by an earthquake or a volcano.
Other beliefs - In Europe, many people blamed the Jewish population. This was not the case in England.
How successfully did the people of the Middle Ages treat the Black Death?
People tried traditional cures such as bleeding, prayer and using herbs. Some physicians burst buboes, which occasionally worked.
However, it quickly became clear that neither priests nor physicians were capable of curing the Black Death. Many began to think that it was God’s will that those who caught the disease would die.
How successfully did the people of the Middle Ages prevent the Black Death?
As well as traditional methods such as prayer and herbal remedies, some people walked around London whipping themselves to show God they were sorry. Some physicians recommended doing joyful things such as listening to cheerful music, and many people fled their area.
Government action - The government brought in quarantine laws and considered banning preaching and religious meetings to stop large crowds gathering. However, the government were not powerful at this time; rich people ignored the rules and the Church continued as normal. Authorities also stopped cleaning the streets, hoping the smell would drive away miasma.
What invention in 1440 led to the possibility of change in medicine and why?
In around 1440 Johannes Gutenberg, a German goldsmith, created the world’s first printing press, a machine for printing text or pictures. By 1500, there were hundreds of presses in Europe. This meant that new ideas could be shared more widely and began to take control of books away from the Church.
