The Middle Ages Flashcards
What were the four humours?
The four humours included Blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile.
How did the Ancient Greeks use the four humours to ‘treat’ disease?
They believed people became sick when the four humours were unbalanced, so to make people better. they tried to put this balance right.
What was the theory of opposites?
Galen developed the idea of the four Humours by using his theory of opposities. This aimed to balance the humours by giving people the ‘opposite’ to their symptoms.
Who was Galen?
Galen was a Greek doctor who worked in Ancient Rome. He wrote many books on his ideas were the basis of medical training in the Middle Ages. He developed Hippocrates’ ideas and his own treatments were based on his ‘Theory of Opposites’
What were some religious and supernatural ways of preventing illness?
.Living a Christian life e.g praying, going to church, etc.
. Self-punishment such as flagellation (punishing yourself so God wouldn’t)
What were some rational methods of preventing illness?
. Trying to keep the streets clean.
. Bathing and washing.
. Exercising.
. Bleeding and purging.
What were supernatural treatments?
These included specific ideas for certain illnesses such as hanging a magpie’s beak around your neck to cure a toothache.
Who treated the sick?
During the Middle Ages (C1250-C1500), Barber-surgeons, apothcaries, ‘wise women’ and physicians treated the sick?
What did the Barber Surgeons do?
. They had no training, carried out bloodletting and pulling teeth. They did basic surgery such as amputations in which had a very low success rate. They also cost less than a physician.
What did the ‘wise women’/female family members do?
Most ill people throughout this period were treated at home by a family member at home. The village ‘wise women’ would also tend to people in their homes for free.
What did the apothecaries do?
They recieved basic training however did not have any medical qualifications. They mixed medicines and ointments based on their own knowledge or directions of a physician. They cost money but were less costly than seeing a physician.
What did the physicians do?
.They were medically trained at university and passed exams.
.As well as this they diagnosed illnesses and gave treatments, or sent patients to the apothecary or barber-surgeon.
.They were expensive so were mainly used by the wealthy.
What was the Black Death? (1348)
The Black Death (or plague) was carried by fleas living on black rats, which bought the disease to different countries to trading ships. It’s passed to humans when an infected flea bites them and the disease enters their blood.
What did people think caused the Black Death?
People thought the Black death was caused by several factors. These were…
.Religion
.Astrology
. Miasma
. Volcanoes
. Four humours
. Outsiders (strangers or witches had caused the disease)
How did people try to avoid catching the Plague?
. Praying and fasting.
. Clearing up rubbish in the streets.
. Smelling their toilets or other bad smells in the belief this would overcome the plague.
. Lighting a fire in the room.
. Carrying herbs and spices to avoid breathing in ‘bad air’.
. Not letting unknown people enter the town or village.
