The Christian Church Flashcards
What did the majority of the population think the illness was caused by?
God sending it as a punishment. The sick believed that they had sinned
What did people believed about Royals and Saints?
That they would be able to heal any ailment
How did religious belief hinder results in natural medicine?
They encouraged superstitious beliefs about God punishing them for their sins, so they must repent their sins e.g. flagellants who flogged themselves in public
How did the church directly hinder medical progress?
By banning dissection of human corpses- society wasn’t allowed to interfere with the human body as it had been created by God. Meaning doctors were unable to learn about human anatomy
What was the problem with Galen’s “research”.
He justified his research with the dissection of a pig assuming human anatomy was similar.
What was a big issue with the churches hospital care?
They refused to care for certain groups, e.g. mentally disabled and the very ill.
Who were the patients of the church hospitals cared by?
Nuns and monks who had no formal training or qualifications, and treated their patients through prayer and rest
Why did the Church approve of Galen?
Due to his belief that the human body was so intricately designed that it must have been made by God
Why could people not question Galen?
As they would also be seen as challenging the church, which was very dangerous and could lead to imprisonment or even execution.
What did all monasteries have that meant their public health was better than the rest of society’s.
They all had a fresh water supply in order to keep waste away from their inhabitants.
How did the crusades help medical progress?
As the people were encouraged to leave Britain and spread Christianity- through this they met many Muslim doctors who were far more advanced and gained knowledge from them.
