medicine through time: 1250-1500 medieval England

KT1 GCSE history, medicine through time, flashcards based on lesson content

when does black death arrive in britain

1348

when does William Harvey publish his book on circulation of the blood

1628

when does great plague arrive in britain

1665

who discovers smallpox vaccine

Edward Jenner

when does Edward Jenner discover smallpox vaccine

1796-98

what did John snow do

discovered significance of broad st. pump in causing cholera

when did John snow make his discovery

1855

when were Oxford and Cambridge established

1200

who discovered x rays

William Roentgen

when did William Roentgen make his discovery

1895

who discovered structure of dna

franklin, Watson and crick

when was the NHS formed

1948

when did Franklin, Watson and crick discover structure of dna

1953

who discovered structure of dna

franklin, Watson and crick

what theory did Hippocrates come up with

The theory of the four humours

supernatural

believing in theories that go beyond the laws of nature

what is the theory of the four humours

The theory created by Hippocrates that the body was made up of 4 elements (humours)- black bile ; yellow bile ; phlegm and blood. If any these humours were out of balance in any way, it caused a disease.

what is the Hippocratic oath

An oath that a doctor takes, where they swear to respect life and prevent harm

what method of hippocrates' is still used today

clinical observation

who was galen

Greek physician who worked in ancient rome

what theory did Galen have

theory of opposites

what is the theory of opposites

a theory that expanded on the theory of four humours, stating that illnesses caused by an excess of one bodily fluid (humour) should be treated with its exact opposite

three examples of supernatural and religious explanations of disease

1. astrology

2. church and god

3. theory of four humours

astrology (relating to disease explanations)

physician would consult star charts, looking at when the patient was born and when they fell ill. church disapproved of it until black death in 1348. supernatural explanation, considered important in 1250-1500 because of hippocrates' infulence

church and god in relation to disease explanation

bible said they leprosy and famine was caused by god, as punishment for sin. people with leprosy would be sent away to islands or other communities, or would have to wear a cloak and bell to warn people when they were near, as people believed it was transmitted through breath.

theory of four humours in relation to disease explanation

stated that , as the universe made up of four elements (fire earth water and air) that the body must be made up of four humours (blood phlegm black bile and choler/ yellow bile). belief that all should be balanced and if unbalanced you became ill .

what did Hippocrates create

the Hippocratic Collection- 70 books which detail illnesses

problems with science and technology (three)

1. couldn’t do dissections on humans as they believed it would prevent the person from going to heaven, so they did it on animals leading to assumptions about human anatomy being wrong (eg Galen’s anatomical drawings)

2. new discoveries had to fit in with old ideas (the belief that everything is perfect and made by god)

3. technology available was limited as much of it had not yet been invented.

attitudes in society (relating to the limited amount of change in ideas at this time) three

1. strong belief in god (believed they would go to hell for criticising/ going against the church)

2. physicians that did not follow traditional/ old ideas found it hard to find work as everybody believed a good physician used theory of four humours. eg Henri de Mondeville who compared the theory to “an old dog that needed to be put down, but whose owner could not face replacing it)

3. people believed that since medicine had always been this way, there was no need to question of change it.

the church (relating to the limited amount of change in ideas at this time) three

1. controlled medical learning (chose what books would be copied and what ideas would be promoted

2. The Church taught that illness was a punishment for sin or a test of faith from God, meaning the primary "treatments" were prayer, pilgrimage, and repentance.

3. no one wanted to criticise the church and their ideas, or discuss new and alternative ideas in fear of going to hell for doing so.

miasma

belief that bad air and smells caused disease