Medieval Medicine

Factors in medicine

Individuals

religion

Science and tech

Government

Attitudes and beliefs

War

Middle ages Causes of disease

Punishment from God for peoples sins

way of God testing your faith

Supernatural beings like witches who were believed to be behind the outbreak of disease - tried and executed

Astrology - position of planets caused disease. Arabic medicine brought to England between 1100 and 1300

Miasma

Miasma

bad air causing disease . believed dirt waste from the streets poisoned the air because dirty places smelt bad. air sent by God lasted until 1860s

prompted people to do hygienic things to stop spread disease

Why was there a lack of progress in the middle ages?

in causes of disease

However … treatment …

people knew nothing about it

respect for tradition

lack of education and science and power of the Church

Kings - defend the country and Government were not interested in public health / no taxes

Surgery made some progress because of constant warfare

Hippocrates

4 humour theory

Greek doctor and teacher

doctors should observe and record their patients and their symptoms before diagnosing

Hippocratic Oath

body contained 4 humours - blood, phlegm yellow and Black bile

these were linked to the 4 seasons and elements . They needed to be in balance for good health.

Galen

Born in AD 129

Extended the 4 humour theory

Theory of Opposites - different food and drinks could balance an excessive humour

herbs had a humour which could balance the excessive humour that was causing the disease

proved heart controlled the body by conducting an experiment on a pig - wrong animals

The Church and Galen

His ideas fitted with the Church’s teachings about the soul so his and Hippocrates teachings were promoted by the Church. If you questioned them you were going against the word of God

Other factors

printing press -1440 Johan Guttenberg medical texts spread quicker

The articella was relied on to teach students medical textbook, which detailed text and practises directly from Galen and Hippocrates

Church in Medicine

Extremely powerful organisation in Europe . Dominated the way people studies and thought

encouraged disease was a punishment from God - preventing people from finding cures

Chruch outlawed disection - doctors couldnt discover ideas about anatomy for themselves.

Treatment/ prevention in Middle ages

Prayer bloodletting purifying air remedies surgery

charms to ward of disease

offering tithes to the Church

Regimen Sanitates

Diet - eating too much discouraged

purifying air

Treatment - Religion

Sick people encouraged to pray to saints in hope they would intervene

Pilgrimages to holy shrines

whipped to show God they were sorry

Treatment - Blood letting / purging

4 humour theory

too much blood doctor would take blood out using leeches

getting rid of other fluids by excreting / laxatives

Regimen sanitatis

list of instructions patients should follow in order to stay healthy

exercise avoid stress

Treatment - air

Purifying air - miasma

cleaning air to prevent sickness by carrying oranges

Treatment - Remedies

brought from an apothecary - local wise women popular in medieval England contained herbs spices animal parts - honey to fight infection

passed down or written in books called herbals

Physicians treatment

male doctors trained at university for at least 7 years read ancient texts

used handbooks and clinical observations

in 1300 less than 100 in England expensive

Barber surgeons

dangerous now ay to prevent blood loss infection pain

simple operations

Hospitals

number of hospitals increased mostly owned by Church run by monks and nuns

these more hygienic separated clean and dirty water

purpose to provide care and rest

monks had access to books on healing

Black death

struck in the 14 century Europe in Britain in 1348

Some historians think a third of the population died

series of plagues with 2 illnesses

Bubonic, Pneumonic

Bubonic plague

spread by the bites of fleas from rats carried on ships

headaches high temp puss filled swelling on skin

Pneumonic plague

airborne spread by coughs sneezes

attacked lungs pain to breathe caused victims to cough up blood

Black death causes

God

position of planets - alignment of Mars Jupiter and Saturn caused this

4 humours

Bad air poisoned the body from volcano fumes

Black Death treatment

prayer - donate money to Church, confessed

Holy charms worn

Bleeding purging rebalancing humours

Sniffing strong herbs

Fires were lit to remove bad air

victims burst buboes to get rid of illness

Clean streets -Kind Edward sent order to lord mayor of London to remove filth in 1349

Black Death prevention

prayer

Flagellants whip themselves

pilgrimages

cleared streets fines for throwing litter increased

Victims quarantined

carried sweet smelling herbs

Cities helped spread disease and increase number of … because …

rats/fleas waste was everywhere

no drainage/sewers

disposal of bodies

life expectancy middle ages

35

hospital progress middle ages

St Bartholomew 1123 and by 1400 there were 500 across country

prevention of disease progress

Edward iii law banning littering Regimen Sanitatis