Renaissance Flashcards
What new attitude in society developed during the Renaissance?
Humanism - Humanism was characterised by a love of learning, a new interest in classical scholars and the belief that human beings could make up their own minds. Humanists also rejected the Christian view that God was responsible for everything that happened. During the 17th century, more experimentation began to take part in the field of medicine.
What did Andreas Vesalius do in the 1530s and how did he impact medicine during the period 1500-1700?
Vesalius published two books, Six Anatomical Tables (1537) and Fabrica (1543). He had been able to carry out a large number of dissections, and noted errors that Galen had made in the human body. Vesalius also encouraged doctors to dissect, rather than believe old books. Vesalius’ work was shared widely, spreading new ideas about the body that challenged Galen.
What did William Harvey do in the early 1600s and how much impact did he have on medicine during the Renaissance?
William Harvey came up with the theory that blood was pumped by the heart and circulated around the body, challenging the work of Galen. Harvey’s work encouraged other scientists to experiment on actual bodies, but had little practical use, as surgery was not advanced enough for his findings to be useful. Instead, many doctors at the time openly criticised him or even ignored him. Galen’s work appeared in English textbooks until 1651, and it was only in 1673 that Harvey’s ideas began to appear in universities.
What did Thomas Sydenham do in the 1660s and 1670s and how did he impact medicine during the period 1500-1700?
Sydenham refused to rely on medical books when diagnosing illness, and instead made a point of closely observing the symptoms of a patient and treating the disease that caused them. He suggested that diseases were like plants and animals, and could be organised into different groups. This went against the ideas of the Four Humours, and laid the foundations for a more scientific approach to medicine from the 18th century.
What was the Royal Society and what impact did it have on medicine?
The Royal Society were a group of scientists, who met with the aim of carrying out experiments and sharing their findings to further the understanding of science. In 1662, it gained the support of King Charles II, giving it credibility. In 1665, it began publishing a scientific journal, Philosophical Transactions, which provided an important platform for scientists to share their work. It also encouraged scientists to write in English, rather than Latin, to make their work more accessible and straightforward.
How were the beliefs of physicians different in the Renaissance to those of the General Public?
Very few physicians believed the Theory of the Four Humours by the end of this period. However, it was still used when diagnosing disease, because patients understood it. This was because physicians were able to read information that was shared, whereas the general public largely couldn’t.
What did people believe caused disease in the Renaissance period?
Religious - Ideas about God sending disease were declining, but some still believed this, especially in times of plague.
Miasma - The idea that disease was spread by bad smells continued to be believed by almost everybody.
Animalcules - By 1683 powerful microscopes had seen bacteria. However, scientists did not know what this was and the images were unclear. They called them ‘animalcules’.
Anatomy - Thanks to the work of people such as Andreas Vesalius people had a much better understanding of the human body.
What methods of treatment were used in the Renaissance?
Transference - People began to believe that disease could be transferred to something else, such as an onion or a live chicken.
Herbal remedies - New remedies were used, such as cinchona bark (from Peru). Remedies also were chosen according to their colour.
Chemical cures - People began to look for chemical cures for disease, known as iatrochemistry. These could include metals and salts.
What methods of prevention were used in the Renaissance?
Moderation - People believed you could avoid disease by practising moderation in all things.
Condition at birth - People believed your condition at birth affected your adult years.
Cleanliness - Cleanliness was still important in the home, and removing rubbish or sewage was a punishment given to minor criminals. However, people avoided bathing as they thought it caused syphilis.
Regimen Sanitatis - People continued to practise this.
Weather - People believed there could be a link between weather and disease.
How did the role of medical practitioners change in the Renaissance?
Physicians - Physicians continued to largely learn from books. Dissection had been legalised, but it was difficult to get corpses. However, physicians had much better access to medical textbooks and fugitive sheets.
Surgeons - Education for surgeons increased dramatically. With wars being fought with new technology, new wounds on the battlefields meant more surgery was necessary. Surgeons had to possess licences for the first time..
Apothecaries - Apothecaries became better trained and like surgeons had to possess licences.
How did hospitals change in the period 1500-1700?
Before 1533: Hospitals began to provide food, visits from a physician and medication, such as from an apothecary.
After 1533: In 1533 Henry VIII started the dissolution of the monasteries. As monks and nuns ran the hospitals, many began to close.
Pest houses: Pest houses opened for people with infectious diseases, such as plague or leprosy.
What did people believe caused the Great Plague of 1665?
Astrology - Unusual alignment of the planets was seen in October and November 1664.
Punishment from God - Many believed God had sent the plague as punishment for mankind’s wickedness and was cleaning his kingdom.
Miasma - Miasma was now believed by most to be the cause, coming perhaps from rubbish or dunghills in city.
Other people -The main change was that people understood that disease passed person to person.
How successfully did people of the Renaissance deal with the Great Plague of 1665?
Herbal remedies - Extremely popular, often sold by quack doctors.
Transference - Was attempted as a treatment.
Plague doctors - Wore special costumes to prevent disease spreading.
Quarantine - Was much more effective (28 days), and public meetings were banned. Houses with the plague had a red cross drawn on them.
Other government measures - Included fires burning on street corners, cats dogs and pigeons were also killed.
How was the Great Plague dealt with differently to the Black Death?
To some extent, the Great Plague was prevented more effectively. Quarantine was largely followed, and keeping patients in their houses and removing bodies would have had an impact, as would plague doctors outfits.
However, many methods of prevention, such as burning tar, would not have worked, and treatments remained largely ineffective, as seen by the number of dead.
