The Middle Ages c1350-1500 Flashcards
What did they think caused disease?
- The Four humours
- God or the Devil
- Miasma
- Desperate explanations
What is the Theory of the Four Humours?
The Four Humours:
- Black bile
- Yellow bile
- Blood
- Phlegm
An imbalance of these Humours was believed to be the cause of disease
Who created the Theory of the Four Humours?
Hippocrates
What is the Theory of Opposites?
This is a method of treatment of disease.
To rebalance the Four Humours by:
- Blood letting
- Laxatives
- Hot bath
- Cucumber/cold bath
Who created the Theory of Opposites?
Galen
He developed Hippocrates’ Theory of the Four Humours
What was the knowledge of human anatomy?
- Human dissection was banned so human anatomy was based on animals
- Mistakes were made and it was assumed that animals and humans were the same
- These mistakes were passed down through books
Who is Galen?
- A Roman doctor to the gladiators
- He was used to seeing organs and dealt with gruesome injuries
- Believed in God and believed there was a place in the body for the soul
What did Galen do?
- Dissected a pig which proved that the brain controlled the body, not the heart
- However, mistakes were made. The heart does not consume blood
Did the church support Galen?
Yes
Because he believed that the soul was God’s creation.
Who was in charge of doctors training and education?
The church
They used Galen’s work to train doctors
How was a barber surgeon trained?
In a butcher shop
How did a barber surgeon treat sick people?
- Amputated limbs
- Blood letting
How was a priest trained?
By a local monastery
How did a priest treat sick people?
- Prayer
- Rest
- Herbal remedies
- Flagellation
How was a trained physician trained?
Attended a medical school and passed exams
How did a trained physician treat sick people?
- Leeches
How was a wise woman trained?
Knowledge was passed down through female relatives
How did a wise woman treat sick people?
- Leeches
- Herbal remedies
- Prayer
- Charms
- Spells
How was an apothecary trained?
At home by relatives
How did an apothecary treat duck people?
- Potions
How was a blood-letter trained?
Apprenticed
How did a blood-letter treat sick people?
- Blood-letting
- Leeches
When was The Black Death
1348
What were the symptoms of The Black Death?
- Sickness
- Spasms
- Buboes
- Fever
- Bleeding under the skin
What were the believed causes of The Black Death?
- Punishment from God
- Unbalanced Four Humours
- Miasma
- Outsiders
- Brightly coloured clothing
What were the treatments of The Black Death?
- Prayer
- Blood-letting
- Herbal remedies
- Strapping toads, pigeons and chicken to the buboes
How was The Black Death prevented?
- Prayer
- Burial of the dead
- Flagellation
- Carrying charms
- Isolation
- Burning barrels of tar
What is leprosy?
A chronic infectious disease that primarily affects the peripheral nerves, skin, upper respiratory tract, eyes, and the lining of the nose, The disease is caused by Mycobacterium leprae.
Where were Lepers kept?
Lazar houses/leper colonies
Why were lepers separated from others?
They recognised that the disease was communicated by a close touch of long duration
What were Lepers forbidden to do?
- Touch anything except wth their staff
- Enter churches, markets etc
- Wash their hands or possessions in a water course
- Have intercourse with anyone except their spouse
- Touch children
