Middle Ages Flashcards
0
Q
Name some positives of public health in the Middle Ages
A
- The rich were clean, many had a toilet separate from living quarters
- Pipes supplied water to houses of merchants and local dignitaries
- Hygiene in monasteries were high, waste was disposed of and water was piped
- Some town councils provided fresh water and public baths known as “stewes” to help the population keep clean
1
Q
Why wasn’t public health in the Middle Ages as good as Ancient Rome?
A
- The Romans had better facilities, they kept their toilets clean and their drinking water and sewers separate
- Middle Ages threw waste into the river, washed themselves in it, and used it as drinking and cooking water
- The Romans employed people to clean the streets, they had drinking fountains and bath houses too
- Middle Ages mistreated public facilities into disrepair, people were only employed to clean the streets every few years, however, fines were issued for littering
- The Romans had an aqueduct system of drinking water which was piped into fountains from reservoirs, rich had piped water (although lead pipes were dangerous)
- Middles Ages had wells and cesspits which seemed like a good idea until they seeped into one another and mixed, making the drinking water contaminated
2
Q
Name some negatives of public health in the Middle Ages
A
- Pipes used were made of lead, and usually only laid if privately funded, they were leaky and gave a bad taste
- Water was often contaminated and not safe
- Streets were strewn with rubbish and waste which attracted rats
- Cleanliness laws were difficult to enforce
- Mostly no public provision of clean water
3
Q
What were some religious explanations for disease and how did they treat it?
A
- Diseases were caused by sins and the imbalance of Four Humours
- Astrology was used in treatment, the moon was particularly important when bleeding a patient
- Attending church was believed to be a way of avoiding diseases as well as curing them
4
Q
How did the church train doctors?
A
- Medical books
- Medical universities controlled by the church
5
Q
What impact did the church have on the development of medical knowledge?
A
- The church remained the only constant authority from the Romans to the Middles Ages which meant their medical books and knowledge were kept alive
- Had a monopoly on medical treatment and training which meant they could choose which books were copied and distributed, and what medical knowledge was shared
- The sick were encouraged to pray for health, each ailment had it’s own saint
- Appointed the kind with holy oil which supposedly gave him “healing powers” so he could “cure” people by touching them on the head
6
Q
How important was the church in caring for the sick?
A
- 1000s of hospitals were set up by the church, all run by monks or nuns, their main job being to pray for the soul of the sick person
- The monks and nuns only cared for the sick, and had no part in curing their sickness as they believed that was god’s job, that’s why very few doctors were employed
- Many hospitals refused to admit infectious or incurable patients because there were no medical professionals to look after them (that’s why hospitals are so different today, a result of the church’s teachings)
- For many patients, a break from their rotting homes and contaminated water was enough to cure them of their diseases anyway
7
Q
How did war effect the development of medicine and treatment?
A
Army surgeons had practice in treating wounds and the need for a healthy army led to improvements in water supplies and sanitation.
8
Q
What was the impact of war in the Middle Ages?
A
- Soldiers travelled to he Middle East to fight in the Crusades and brought medical knowledge back with them
9
Q
What was the government’s role in the Middle Ages?
A
- Kings were more interested in defending their kingdoms rather than developing medicine, didn’t realise that healthy subjects would help with this
- Felt they didn’t need to do anything as the church was in control of medicine
- Lack of their interest negatively effected public health (if the kind doesn’t care, why should the people?)
10
Q
Why was the church so fond of Galen and his ideas?
A
- He taught that all parts of the body fitted together into a well-designed whole, this fitted in with what the bible taught about man being made in god’s image
- It supported the theory of the four humours, bleeding was common in monasteries
- Medical training was controlled by the church, all physicians learned about Galen
- They only copied and distributed Galen’s books in their libraries
- Church didn’t allow human dissection, students went on what Galen taught because they weren’t allowed to discover anything different
11
Q
What was the Black Death?
A
- The Black Death was bubonic plague
- It was spread by fleas carried on rats, which travelled on trading ships, this meant it quickly spread around Europe
- Black Death typically began like a fever, with chills and shivering, then swellings called buboes appeared in the groin and armpits, followed by blisters around the body
- Victim’s temperatures soared causing high fever, unconsciousness, then death
12
Q
How was Black Death treated?
A
- Vinegar and water treatment
- Swellings cut open to allow the disease to “leave the body”
- A mixture of tree resin, roots of white lilies, and died human excrement was applied to these cuts
- Veins leading to the heart were cut open which allowed the disease to “leave the body”
- An ointment of clay and violets were applied to these cuts
- Only consume bread fruit and vegetables, and avoid bad smelling foods such as meat and cheese
- Streets cleaned and waste collected, then burnt. All bodies and their clothes buried in deep pits and burnt outside the village
- Herbal remedies
- Witchcraft: Strap hens to swellings and drink own urine twice a day
13
Q
How were diseases treated in the Middle Ages?
A
- Herbal remedies
- Astrology
- Wise women
- Urine charts
- Prayer
- Blood letting
