The Renaissance

Question 1

changes in ideas of causes of disease

Answer 1

fewer religions/supernatural ideas
new rational explanations
reduced influence of the church
scientific approaches

Question 2

continuity in ideas of causes of disease

Answer 2

miasma

theory of the four humours

Question 3

changing influence of the church

Answer 3

religious ideas were challenged
challenged catholic church’s authority
new explanations looked for, instead of God

Question 4

change in the work of physicians and scientists

Answer 4

fewer believed in astrology, no longer using astrology charts
urine charts used less
more direct examinations carried out, not relying on patients explaining their symptoms

Question 5

thomas sydenham

Answer 5

didn’t rely on medical books
observed patients and recorded detailed symptoms
‘new idea’ - disease had nothing to do with the nature of the person who had it
based treatment on disease, not individual symptoms.
‘English Hippocrates’

Question 6

development of printing

Answer 6

exact copies of texts could be produced and quickly.
reduced church’s control of ideas, no longer prevented ideas being published if they didn’t approve of it
books shared more effectively, and must faster across a wider area
more people gained knowledge

Question 7

the royal society

Answer 7

aimed to further scientific understanding
recorded experiments
shared knowledge
encouraged new theories/ideas
sponsored scientists for research
1665, published Philosophical Transactions, scientists shared their work and ideas
ideas could be built upon, studied and challenged
new findings spread through the medical community quickly
King Charles II granted a royal charter to them.

Question 8

hospitals

Answer 8

treating more sick people, less used by travellers/pilgrims
dissolution of monasteries by Henry VIII, most hospitals closed
some charity funded hospitals set up
pest houses - people with contagious diseases could go there
hospitals reappeared, run by physicians who wanted to treat them, not by religion

Question 9

community care

Answer 9

most cared at home
physicians too expensive for many
members of community offered advice/remedies, some were paid

Question 10

continuing treatments and preventions

Answer 10

herbal treatments
healthy living
cleanliness
bleeding
purging
prayer
superstitions

Question 11

changes in prevention/treatment

Answer 11

removing miasma - draining swamps, sewage/rubbish removed
clean clothes, regularly changed
new herbal remedies, from newly discovered countries
alchemy, chemical cures using metals/minerals
theory of transference - trying to transfer the disease to other objects

Question 12

lack of change

Answer 12

ideas slow to be accepted
no direct use
no improvement in understanding disease

Question 13

continuity in training for apothecaries and surgeons

Answer 13

no university training

inferior to physicians still

Question 14

continuity in training for physicians

Answer 14

years training at universities

based on textbooks, no practical

Question 15

change in training for apothecaries and surgeons

Answer 15

apprenticeships then journeymen then masters
license needed
after training it could be issued

Question 16

change in training for physicians

Answer 16

more medical books and drawings
new ideas about anatomy, inspired praciticals
dissections legalised

Question 17

vesalius

Answer 17

studied medicine in paris in 1533
professor of surgery in Padua
carried out many human dissections

Question 18

importance of Vesalius

Answer 18

improved understanding of the human body
study of anatomy became popular
proved galen’s work was incorrect, encouraged other to question his ideas
inspired others to dissect
his work was widely published ( The fabric of the human body 1543)
detailed illustrations of the human body

Question 19

the great plague 1665 - causes

Answer 19

miasma
less believed in the four humours
disease could pass between people

Question 20

the great plague 1665 - treatments

Answer 20

many the same as the Black Death
theory of transference
sweat the disease out
herbal 
quack doctors

Question 21

the great plague 1665 - government action

Answer 21

theatres closed
large gatherings banned
dogs/cats killed
streets cleaned
dead collected, to mass graves
if caught the plague, separated from everyone else
fasting/public prayers ordered

Question 22

William Harvey

Answer 22

studied medicine at Cambridge then Padua
lecturer of anatomy
james I doctors
carried out public dissections
discovered blood circulation
importance of observing and recording symptoms not just relying on textbooks

Question 23

discovering the circulation of the blood

Answer 23

researched Vesalius’ theory that blood went to the heart
used dissected bodies and pumps to prove it only flowed one way
proved blood wasn’t produced by the liver and absorbed, as Galen had thought
influenced by technology e.g. water pumps
discovered arteries and veins were part of one system that pumped blood round the body

Question 24

importance of Harvey

Answer 24

proved some of Galen’s theories were wrong
improved knowledge on how the body works
taught in medical schools
he gained credibility, inspired others to find more out
methods of observation and dissection used by others
left many unanswered questions, encouraged further experiments