1250-1500 Medieval England

What was the 'miasma theory' of disease?

The belief that diseases were caused by 'bad air' or harmful vapours.

Who was Avicenna and what was his contribution to medicine?

A Persian polymath whose work 'The Canon of Medicine' was a central medical text in medieval Europe.

What was the role of physicians in medieval England?

Trained medical professionals who diagnosed illnesses and prescribed treatments, often based on Galenic theories.

What were 'pest houses' used for during the Middle Ages?

Facilities designated for isolating and treating individuals with contagious diseases like the plague.

What were the main causes of disease according to medieval beliefs?

Sin (punishment from God), bad smells (miasma), imbalance of the Four Humours, astrology (alignment of planets).

What theory about the body dominated medieval medicine?

The Theory of the Four Humours developed by Hippocrates and expanded by Galen.

Who was Avicenna and why was he important?

Avicenna (Ibn Sina) wrote 'The Canon of Medicine', a key medical textbook used in medieval England.

What role did astrology play in medieval medicine?

People believed the position of stars and planets could influence health and cause disease.

What were monasteries and why were they important for public health?

Religious institutions with clean water supplies, good sanitation systems, and hospitals that cared for the poor sick.

Why were monks healthier than ordinary townspeople?

Monks had access to clean water, followed routines of handwashing, and had a better diet.

What were medieval hospitals mainly used for?

Caring for the sick by providing food and shelter, not curing them.

What types of people ran medieval hospitals?

Monks, nuns, and religious orders.

Why was public health generally poor in medieval towns?

Overcrowded housing, contaminated water supplies, poor waste disposal, and lack of government organisation.

Name three medieval towns that made efforts to improve public health.

York, London, Winchester.

What regulations did towns like Winchester introduce to improve hygiene?

Butchers had to sell meat outside town walls and waste had to be removed regularly.

What was a Gongfermor?

A worker employed to remove human waste from cesspits.

What was a Raker?

A worker responsible for sweeping animal dung and rubbish off the streets.

What law passed in 1388 attempted to improve public health?

The 1388 Statute of Cambridge, which ordered towns to clean streets and remove waste.

What was a cesspit and why was it dangerous?

A pit to collect sewage which could leak into drinking water and spread disease.

What was the Black Death and when did it arrive in England?

A deadly plague that arrived in 1348, spread by fleas on rats.

What two diseases made up the Black Death?

Bubonic plague and pneumonic plague.

How did medieval people think they could prevent the Black Death?

By carrying posies, using strong smells to drive off miasma, praying, fasting, and flagellation.

What was the response of many towns to outbreaks of plague?

Quarantining households, banning large gatherings, and preventing travel.

What was a pest house?

A building where people with infectious diseases like plague were isolated.

Which groups were often blamed for causing the Black Death?

Jewish communities (scapegoating), despite little evidence.

What practical steps were taken by town councils to improve health?

Regulating food markets, banning waste dumping, hiring street cleaners.

What role did butchers and fishmongers have in spreading disease?

They created large amounts of waste which contaminated streets and water supplies.

Why were water supplies in towns often unsafe?

Water was drawn from rivers or wells contaminated with sewage and waste.

Why did monasteries often have safer drinking water?

They used fresh running water from nearby springs and had filtration systems.

What was the 'miasma theory'?

The idea that disease was spread through bad smells or polluted air.

What evidence shows some medieval towns took public health seriously?

York's regulations on waste disposal, London fining citizens for throwing rubbish into the streets, and Winchester moving butchers outside town walls.

What were common features of medieval streets?

Narrow, muddy, full of animal waste, human waste, and garbage.

Why was public health difficult to enforce in medieval towns?

Limited government power, lack of money, and weak communication systems.

How did religious beliefs slow down progress in medicine?

The Church promoted prayer and repentance over scientific inquiry and discouraged dissection.

What was the 'theory of opposites' and who developed it?

Galen's idea that illnesses could be treated by applying the opposite element (e.g., hot to treat cold).

How did people diagnose illnesses in medieval England?

By examining urine, checking the pulse, consulting astrological charts, and analysing humours.

What was the impact of the Black Death on medieval society?

Massive population loss, social upheaval, labour shortages, and eventual improvement in workers' rights.

What was the Ordinance of Labourers (1349)?

A law that attempted to freeze workers' wages after the Black Death due to labour shortages.

What were 'leper houses' and why were they isolated?

Hospitals built outside towns to care for people with leprosy, to prevent contagion.

How did medieval people view leprosy?

As a punishment from God; sufferers were often shunned from society.

Why did medieval towns have poor sanitation?

Lack of proper sewer systems, poor waste management, and limited government organisation.

What was the main role of physicians in medieval England?

Diagnosing illness based on humours and prescribing treatments like bloodletting and purging.

What were apothecaries in medieval England?

People who sold herbal remedies and medicines; often cheaper than physicians.

How did medieval beliefs about cause of disease affect treatments?

Focus on spiritual healing, balancing humours, and avoiding bad smells rather than understanding germs.