Beliefs about cause of illness

How do wealth impact life expectancy?

Those who were wealthier could afford treatments by doctors or physicians, whereas many of the poor couldn’t afford to pay these steep prices

How did where you lived affect life expectancy?

Towns were typically unclean and caused more illness and disease than villages or homes in the countryside due to the extra space and access to clean water

How did age affect life expectancy?

Those who were infants or even children were more likely to die than adults

What was miasma?

The belief that illness was caused by bad smells

How did religion play a role in causing illness?

The church spread the message that if you sinned, God would send an illness as a way of punishment

How common were child deaths?

Extremely, as many died before they turned 7

What were some general causes of death?

Childbirth and war and famine which affected the whole nation

Beliefs about causes of death

Miasma, God’s punishment, childbirth, war, and famine

What were common causes of death in the Medieval Era?

Famine, war, bad harvests (caused by extreme weather, leading to starvation), and malnourishment

Why was malnourishment a cause of disease?

Malnourished people were more likely to catch diseases such as dysentery, smallpox and measles

What percentage of children died before they turned 7?

30%

What percentage of the population of England died of disease in the 14th century?

10%