Medieval Medicine

What were the 4 humours?

Yellow bile, black bile, blood, phlegm

What was the Theory of the Opposites?

Theory that in different seasons, you would get imbalances of different things, based on the Four Humours.

How did people believe disease could be prevented in the Middle Ages?

Good diet and exercise to keep humours in balance

What percent of England’s population did the black death kill?

40-60 percent

How many years did physicians train at university for in the Middle Ages?

7 years

What actually caused the black death?

Rats, bacteria, flees

What were the symptoms of the black death?

Boils + swelling red spots, high fever, aching limbs, fatigue, black swelling, sickness which lasted 3 days maximum before death

In what year did the black death arrive in England?

1348

How many physicians were there in England in the Middle Ages?

Under 100

How many hospitals were there by the end of the medieval period

1,200

Whose work did physicians read at university?

Galen’s and Hippocrates

cause of continuity

the church,

List 3 preventions used in the medieval times

Regimen sanitatis, purifying the air, religious pilgrimages and confessing sin

Laissez faire

leave alone policy, little interference from government

What was the overall progress in Medieval medicine?

Religious beliefs and ancient Greek and Roman theories influenced medical advancements. Despite limited scientific understanding, there were key developments in practice, institutions, and public health efforts.