Life in medieval England

Who developed the Theory of the Four Humours in Ancient Greece?

Hippocrates

Which Roman doctor adapted the Four Humours with the Theory of Opposites?

Galen

Which Islamic scholar's medical textbook was studied in medieval England?

Avicenna (Ibn Sina), author of The Canon of Medicine

Who wrote one of the main plague advice pamphlets in 1365?

John of Burgundy

Who were responsible for traditional healing using herbs and charms in medieval communities?

Wise women

Who primarily cared for the sick inside monasteries?

Monks and nuns

Which medieval figure promoted urine testing (uroscopy) to diagnose illness?

Physicians

Who were the Flagellants and what did they believe? Groups of religious people who whipped themselves to repent sins during the Black Death.

Groups of religious people who whipped themselves to repent sins during the Black Death

In which year did the Black Death first arrive in England?

1348

How did the Black Death enter England? Via ports like Melcombe Regis, Dorset, carried by ships from Europe.

Via ports like Melcombe Regis, Dorset, carried by ships from Europe.

What major demographic impact did the Black Death have by 1350? Killed about 30-50% of England’s population.

Killed about 30-50% of England’s population

What legislation in 1388 ordered towns to remove waste from streets?

The Statue of Cambridge

What was the Peasants' Revolt (1381) partly caused by after the Black Death? Shortages of workers and government attempts to freeze wages.

Shortages of workers and government attempts to freeze wages

Which London hospital, founded in 1123, cared for the poor sick? St Bartholomew’s Hospital.

St Bartholomew’s Hospital

Which town kept detailed death records during the Black Death?

Norwich

Why were monasteries healthier places compared to towns? They had clean water supplies, good drainage, and enforced hygiene rules.

They had clean water supplies, good drainage, and enforced hygiene rules.

Where were most leper houses located? On the edges of towns or in isolated rural areas.

On the edges of towns or in isolated rural areas.

Name an English port where the Black Death first appeared. Melcombe Regis, Dorset.

Melcombe Regis, Dorset

What was the role of a Gongfermor?

To clean cesspits and remove human waste

What was the role of a Raker?

To clear animal dung and rubbish from town streets

What was the Ordinance of Labourers (1349)?

Law passed to freeze workers’ wages after the Black Death

What was a cesspit and why was it dangerous?

A pit for collecting sewage; could leak into water supplies causing disease.

What early quarantine measures were introduced after the plague?

Some towns banned incoming strangers and isolated infected households

What was miasma and how was it believed to spread disease?

The belief that bad smells in air carried disease.

What were posies and how were they used during the plague?

Small bunches of sweet-smelling herbs used to protect against miasma

What were Pest Houses? Isolation hospitals for plague victims.

Isolation hospitals for plague victims

Why did medieval medicine focus so much on religion? The Church controlled education and taught that illness was a punishment from God.

The church controlled education and taught that illness was a punishment from God.

What type of treatment involved balancing the Four Humours?

Bloodletting and purging

What astronomical event was blamed for causing the Black Death?

A strange alignment of planets in 1345

What everyday practices helped monasteries avoid disease better than towns?

Regular handwashing, fresh running water, and good diet.