Renaissance Medicine

When was the Renaissance period?

c. 1500 - 1700

Context: Exploration

The discovery of the “New World” meant new ingredients could be used for medicine

Context: Ideologies

Humanism meant people were relying on their intelligence, not the Church and God

Context: Science (3)

There was a growing respect for science and reason

For example, the Royal Society (1660) encouraged experiments

It was approved by King Charles II meaning it was reputable and respected

Context: The Church (3)

The Catholic Church gradually lost influence

For example the Printing Press (1440) allowed for the mass production of medical books

This made learning new ideas easier

Who were the key individulas (3)

Andreas Vesalius
William Harvey
Thomas Sydenham

Individuals: Andreas Vesalius → Galen

Corrected over 300 of Galens theories through dissection of the human body

Individuals: Andreas Vesalius → Discoveries (3)

The human jaw has 1 bone, not 2
The breast bone has 3 parts not 7
Blood is diffused into the heart

Individuals: Andreas Vesalius → Works

He published detailed drawings of the human body in "The Fabric of the Human Body" in 1543

Individuals: William Harvey (3)

He published his discovery that the heart pumps blood around the body

He also discovered the circulatory system

He published his findings in “An Anatomical Account” in 1628

Individuals: Thomas Sydenham → The 4 humours

He challenged and weakened the 4 humours theory

Individuals: Thomas Sydenham → Thinking

He encouraged doctors to be open-minded and carry out experiments

Individuals: Thomas Sydenham →Against the 4 humours (3)

He argued that there are different types of diseases in Observations Medicae (1676)

For example, he identified that scarlet fever and measles are different diseases caused by different pathogens

This went directly against the 4 humours theory, which taught that diseases were the same from person to person

Individuals: Thomas Sydenham → Works (2)

He published his ideas in "Observationes Medicae" in 1676

This became a medical textbook

Renaissance causes → Carried over from Medieval (4)

Four humours (weakend towards end of period)

God

Miasma

Alignments of the planets

Renaissance causes →New (2)

Theory of Contagion (1546)

Fracastoro believed that invisible seeds in the air causes diseases

Renaissance treatments → Carried over from the medieval (3)

Bloodletting and purging to rebalance humours

Prayer to be healed by God

Herbal remedies such as theriaca remained popular

Renaissance treatments → New (3)

New exotic herbal remedies such as cinchona to treat malaria

New chemical cures such as mercury to treat syphilis

Transference - Moving an illness to an object e.g. by rubbing a wart onto an onion or chicken

Renaissance preventions → carried over (4)

Prayer

Herbs

Amulets and charms

Regimen Sanitatis

Renaissance preventions → New (1+1)

More effort to remove miasma in towns by cleaning the streets

Bathing houses became less popular because they were falsely believed to cause syphilis 

Renaissance healers (4)

Barber surgeons → did basic surgery such as pulling teeth

Apothecaries → mixed herbs and sold medicine to people

Physicians → Highly trained but very expensive - better training enabled by the printing press

Women → a female family member was most likely to treat you

Renaissance hospital care (2)

Pest houses -> New hospitals for people suffering from contagious diseases such as the plague

The Dissolution of the Monasteries (Henry VIII, 1536) -> Most hospitals closed down

Renaissance hospital care → new (2)

New hospitals emerged

A few new hospitals were built, funded by charities and ran by physicians giving treatment

The Causes of the Great Plague 1665 (4)

Punishment from God

Miasma

Imbalance of humours

Astrologists noticed a comet in 1664 → a bad sign

The Treatments of the Great Plague 1665 (3)

Prayers for the sick

Herbal remedies such as posies (bunches of sweet-smelling flowers and herbs)

Bloodletting and purging

The Preventions of the Great Plague 1665 → carried over

Herbs were still used to cleanse the air of miasma

The Preventions of the Great Plague 1665 → NEW (4)

Victims isolated for 40 days 

Barrels of tar were burned in the streets to prevent miasma

40,000 dogs and 200,000 cats were killed to prevent the spread

Tobacco smoked to keep away miasma