Care and hospitals

What would a patient expect in a hospital

• a good diet of healthy foods

• A visit from a physician who would observe and suggest treatment

• Medication, provided from the hospital apothecary

What event dramatically changed the availability of hospitals in England

The Dissolution of Monasteries from 1536

What impact did the dissolution of monasteries have on hospitals

As most were attached to the church, very few stayed open, only St Bartholomew’s survived

What did people do as a result of almost all hospitals shutting down

Smaller charity run hospitals were set up, focus on cure not care

How did hospital care change

• specialist hospitals focusing on one disease like plague; pest houses

• Focused on actually treating the sick

• Charity hospitals

What continuity was there in hospitals

• most sick people cared at home

• Women continued to play an important role

Were apothecaries and surgeons given any university training

No, considered inferior to physicians

How did apothecaries and surgeons organise themselves so they could train

Guild systems. Train as apprentices for years until becoming Master Surgeon or Master Apothecary, needed license

What new subject were physicians taught at university

Anatomy, due to discoveries by Vesalius and Sydenham

How did the printing press benefit doctors

Has access to a large selection of books containing detailed anatomical drawings→challenged traditions

How was most learning still done for physicians

From books, little practice training