Treating disease

punishment from god treatment

prayer, specifically to saints who were thought to intervene and prevent the illness. some people also made pilgrimages to holy sites

Flagellants

people who whipped themselves in public in order to show God that they were sorry for former actions. particularly common around times of epidemics

Doctors and superstition

some doctors still believed in astrology and believed saying certain words when administering treatments would help the cure work

Blood letting and Purging

popular treatments due to their connection with the 4 humours theory

Bloodletting

if someone was thought to have too much blood int heir body, they may have small cuts made on their body, or be leeched

Purging

often involved using laxatives to help the process

miasma

the idea that air being bad or smelly could cause illness

miasma treatment

breathing pure scents, like fruits or flowers. burning incense was also used to that the scent would fill rooms and prevent diseases getting in

apocatharys

places people could buy remedies, usually made by old wise women

Physicians

male doctors who had trained at university for atleast 7 years. they read ancient texts and writings from the Islamic world. they had very little practical experience

Doctors number 1300

less than 100 in England, it was expensive and only the rich could afford it