WEEK 9 (Medieval Medicine) Flashcards
Describe Early Medieval Medical Texts
- Much simpler and poorer compilations
- Mainly lists of drugs
- Mainly in Latin
Describe medicine during the Dark ages
- Monks played a key role
- Lay doctors seen especially in Italy and Gaul
- Jews replaced Greeks as the court of physicians
Towards the end of “Dark Ages” ________________ became increasingly important as centers of learning and medical learning
Cathedral schools
What was mainly found in the writings of the monks?
- Translations
- Practical writings maintaining infirmaries and herb gardens
The Library of the cloister of St Gall in Switzerland in the 9th century contains how many Medical books?
6 Medical books
Describe Early christianity’s influence on medicine
Emphasis on the interest in the soul as opposed to concern for bodily ills
What is Christianity’s original theory of disease?
- Punishment for sins
- Possession by the evil
- Result of witchcraft
What is Christianity’s original therapeutic methods?
- Prayer
- Repentance
- Assistance of saints
- Every cure is a miracle
What did monk doctors such as Hrabanus Maurus and Strabo do?
They did not deny the fundamental connections between sin and disease
Why did the period of monastic medicine end?
- COUNCIL OF CLERMONT in 1130 forbade monks from practicing medicine since it was too disruptive for orderly life in monastries
- Medicine fell into the hand of SECULAR CLERGY
- Arabic medicine
What was Salerno?
The first famous medical centre of the Middle Ages close to Arab Sicily
What was Montpellier?
The first medically outstanding medical university situated in Souther France near the Spanish border
Describe Salerno
- Lay school
- Combined Arabism with practical
- Treatises contain descriptions of DYSENTERY and UROGENITAL DISEASES
- Women were medical practitioners and teachers
Salerno’s curriculum was accepted by the University of Paris (TRUE/FALSE)
TRUE
Describe Medical education in Medieval Universities
- Medical men were priests
- Orderly medical education
- Scholastic standards
- International universities (No language barriers since Latin was used)
Describe Medical education in Medieval Universities
- Medical men were priests
- Orderly medical education
- Scholastic standards
- International universities (No language barriers since Latin was used)
What was the Greatest period in the 13th century?
The Golden age for Montpellier
Who were the famous doctors of the 13th century?
- Bernard of Gordon
- Gilbertus Anglicus
- John Gaddesden
Who is Arnold of Villanova?
- A famous medieval physician that studied at Montpellier
- Employed by princes for diplomatic missions
- Critical attitude toward Galen
Who advocated experimental attitude towards medicine?
Famous churchmen
- Albertus Magnus
- Roger Bacon
Describe the Scholastic medicine of the second half of the Middle Ages
- Repetition of Greek observations, theories and prescriptions
- Numerous saints specialised in specific diseases
- Authority, seasoning and dialectics were the backbone of medicine
Anatomy in the 14th century became more observational and original (TRUE/FALSE)
TRUE
What happened to surgery in the Middle Ages?
- THE COUNCIL OF TOURS took surgery out of the hands of physicians
- Surgery was left to barbers, bath-keepers, mountebanks and quaks
Where was surgery practiced by physicians?
In Italy and Southern France
Who was Lanfranc of Milan?
- Sacileto’s pupil
- Left Italy -> Italian surgery transmitted to France
- Joined the College of St Cosme
- Body physician of the French king Philip the Fair
- Great authority
Who was Henri de Mondeville?
- A graduate of Montpellier
- Body physician to Philip the Fair in later times
- Emphasised studying anatomy
- Opposed the idea of coction and “laudable pus”
Who was Guy de Chauliac?
- Excellent surgeon
- Improved operations for the stone and cataract
- Favored coction and “laudable pus”
The church forbade dissections (TRUE/FALSE)
FALSE
The church NEVER forbade dissections. After the 13th century, dissections were practiced on an increasing scale.
Why did anatomy remain unchanged despite dissections?
- Doctors supervised dissections but did not actually observe what was being dissected
- They saw what they were SUPPOSED to see according to GALEN
What was the Black Death?
In 1348 the Black Death wiped out a large percentage of the European population
What advancement came from the Black Death?
- The quarantine
- Church lost prestige and priests took advantage of performing funerals
- Pessimistic outlooks
- Some people turned to magic and witchcraft
- Massive migration
What happened in the Black Death?
- Fleas jumped from rats to infest clothes of traders travelling from Asia to Europe
- Took 4 years to reach all parts of Europe
- Unsanitary conditions in towns and homes guaranteed the spread of disease
What were the symptoms of the Bubonic plague?
- Swelling
- Black bruises
- Heavy sweats
- Convulsive coughing
- People spat blood and stank (rotting flesh)
What were attempts to stop the plague?
- A doctor’s robe
- Leeching
