Middle Ages Flashcards
After the empire fell Britain split into loads of warring tribes, what was the impact of war on public health?
It caused a REGRESSION in public health.
Romans libraries & public health systems fell into disrepair as the rulers invested their money in defenses instead of rebuilding / improving public health.
The Roman Christian church grew in strength after the collapse of the Roman Empire.
How did the Church influence medicine?
1) Monasteries trained doctors and had libraries so were able to control medical teaching.
2) The Church taught illness was sent by God as punishment. They also supported Galen’s ideas because they fitted in with their belief that God created humans.
3) They practised a care (ie. pray) not cure approach.
4) They were a barrier in the way of medical progress as they didn’t encourage innovate thinking and restricted education as they were scared of rebellions
What was life like in the Middle ages?
Hard peasant like lifestyles.
1) Basic houses (one room) which they shared with farm animals.
2) Poor diets lacking in vitamins, famines were common.
3) Dirty water supplies spread disease.
4) Hard physical agricultural work put strain on people.
Describe what toilets were like in the middle ages…
Did anything positive occur
There were only 13 public toilets in the whole of London which wasn’t adequate for the population size. People use street corners
The rich could afford to have private toilets built (over streams/cesspits)
+ Richard Whittington (mayor of London) funded a 128 seat toilet but the cities government failed to maintain them.
Lots of people got their water from rivers in the middle ages. Why was this a problem?
The river water was very dirty, open sewers ran into it and butchers emptied waste into it
What was the issue with wells in the middle ages?
They were often built near cesspits, rules stated they could be no closer than 2 1/2 (still pretty close) so the water was contaminated
Aside from rivers and wells, where else could you get water in the middle ages?
Men often carried water around to purchase (wasn’t clean) or from rainwater, conduits.
Pumped water was available at the end of the decade.
What happened to the Roman Baths after the Empire collapsed?
They fell into disrepair as British citizens hadn’t been taught how to maintain the buildings.
Britains also refused to care for the seeing them as a symbol of their oppressors.
The church opposed mixed bathing.
What did some councils provided ….. which had fresh water to bath in?
What did some councils provided STEWES which had fresh water to bath in
What were sewers like in the Middle ages?
Were any attempts at improvements made?
Waste was dumped on the streets.
+ There were gutters though (2 for big streets and 1 for small) the waste ran into the river
+ Towards the end of the era Rakers were paid to remove litter but there weren’t enough
+ Fines were also imposed but were hard to enforce
What were the 4 causes of disease in the middle ages?
1) 4 humours
2) God
3) Miasma; bad air
4) Astrology; alignment of planets
Name 3 supernatural treatments practised.
1) Flagellation
2) Prayer
3) Study planetary movement
What natural treatments were available?
Amputation
Blood letting and purging (balance humours)
Herbal remedies
What would a barber surgeon offer?
Bloodletting and simple surgery (amputation)
They weren’t trained
What role did women play in middle ages medicine?
They often acted a wise woman; and would offer herbal remedies.
Women acted as ‘midwives’
Nuns (and monks) ran hospitals
