What were the ideas about the cause of disease of illness, c1250 - 1500 Flashcards
How did God take part in the causes of disease?
What was believed, why it was believed and how it affected society?
- What: The church taught that God sent disease or illness as a punishment of sin, to cleanse your soul of sin or that the devil sent disease or illness as a test of faith.
- Why: Chuch taught that if you disapprove of their teachings you will go to hell, ordinary people had no education - they were not able to read or write, the church contolled almost everything, church said that a miracle had happened when cured, thanks to prayers.
- How: Many people were afraid to disagree with the church as they controlled society, leading to a lack of science and discovery of illness
Why was God believed to take part in the causes of disease?
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How did the use of Astrology take part in the causes of disease?
What was believed, why it was believed and how it affected society?
- What: Belief that the positions of stars & movements of planets have an influence on the events, lives, & behavior of people.
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Why: Physician would consult star charts, looking at when the patient was born and when they fell ill, to help identify what was wrong.
-How: The impact of stars and planets on health was considered important, the church didnt like how astrology was one step away from predicting the future - it later was accepted because of the Black Death.
How did the Theory of the Four Humours take part in the causes of disease?
What was believed, why it was believed and how it affected society?
What: As the universe was made up of the four basic elements – fire, water, earth and air – the body must also be made up of four humours - phlegm, black bile, choler and blood - which were all created by digesting different foods.
Why: The Theory of the Four Humours was very detailed and could be used to explain away almost any kind of illness – physical or mental.
How: The church controlled society - forcing people to believe in Hippocrates’ ideas even though they had been round since the Roman period.
How did the influence of Galen take part in the causes of disease?
What was believed, why it was believed and how it affected society?
What: Galen taught that the Theory of opposites was when illnesses could be cured by using treatments that opposed a patient’s symptoms, he developed the Theory of the Four Humours to include the idea of the Theory of Opposites.
Why: The influence of the Church, which at that time was very powerfu, the importance of book learning and the lack of alternative theories.
How: Galen wrote more than 350 books - books were produced in monasteries, and libraries were maintained by the Church so their choice of texts were widely read, preached and believed.
How did rational and supernateral ideas take part in the causes of disease?
Name them
Rational: Theory of the Four Humours, Theory of the Opposites
Supernatural: Astrology
Miasmatic theory: A miasma was bad air that was believed to be filled with harmful fumes, swamps, corpses and other rotting matter could transmit disease, if a person was unwashed, other people would avoid them, in case they breathed in the bad miasma and contracted a disease.
