Medieval England c1250-1500 Medicine

who was the head of the church in England

Archbishop of Canterbury

what did some hospitals specialise in

leprosy

Each region had a b…

Each town had a p…

bishop

priest

who was the head of the christian church

the pope

what percentage of people were farmers

90%

in the 15th century what % of people in large towns could read?

50%

what were the kings main tasks

defend the people, punish the lawbreakers

who were in charge of keeping streets clean

local council

What did Hippocrates do?

• developed the theory of the 4 humours

• said it was important to observe and record symptoms of disease

What did Galen do?

• doctor to the roman emperor and the teacher of other doctors

• dissected bodies

• further developed 4 humours theory with the opposites theory

• wrote 60 books

how did they believe astrology effect them

the planets affected peoples bodies and god controlled the planets

what were the 4 humours

blood phlegm yellow bile and black bile

how did religious actions effect them

believed

• god punished them with illnesses

• pray to god to stop their illness

• went on pilgrimages to pray for forgiveness

how did the 4 humours effect them

• bleeding charts to show where to take blood from

• using leeches to withdraw blood

• use herbs or animal fat to purge

what hospital was founded in 1123

st bartholomews

who were hospitals run by? and what does this show?

monks

the importance of religious belief

how many hospitals were there in 1400 and on average how many beds did they have

500 hospitals

5/6 beds

what was the largest hospital?

how many beds did it have

st leonard’s

200 beds

how long did physicians train

7 years

how many physicians in 1300 engand

less than 100

where did surgeons train

trained as apprentices

were there any anaesthetics

no

what did apothecaries do

carried mixed ingredients to make ointments and medicines of physicians and make their own medicine to sell to the sick

were medieval physicians encouraged to make new ideas

no because the ancient greeks theories fit the teachings of the bible

what was miasma

the theory that illnesses were caused by bad air some people believed god poisoned the air

what were religious ways of preventing disease

• living a life free of sin

• attending church services

• pray

• pilgrimages

• wearing magical or religous charms

• fasting

• flagellation

what is flagellation

people whipped themselves in public and asked god to forgive their sins

to prevent disease via miasma they would

• carry posies

• light fires

• burn herbs

• ring bells or allow birds to fly around the house

how did they keep the streets clean?

• employing rakers

• punishing people who threw waste on the street (including human poo)

• make butchers dispose of their waste outside the city

• building public toilets

if blood was thought to be out of balance what would they do?

• cuttings into a vein

• using leeches

• placing heating cups over a cut or scratch

how did the opposite theory work?

if a person had to much phlegm they wood be given a hot and dry treatment eg eating a hot pepper

what did barber surgeons

carried out basic surgery like bloodletting, sewing up wounds, removing growths from outside the body

who were wise women

they administered traditions and treatments passed down from family members they were particularly knowledgeable about treatments and remedies

what percentage of people died because of the black death

40%

what was the black death spread by

fleas on rats

symptoms of black death

swellings (buboes) in armpit and groin, blisters, fever, headache then death

when was the black death

1348-49

who was roger bacon

a priest who was imprisoned in 15th century for challenging the church/wanting to question hippocrates

when was dissection banned

14th century

how did education maintain continuity

too few educated people to make a change

why was lots of ancient medical knowledge lost?

the collapse of the roman empire

causes of black death

punishment from god

alignment of the planets

miasma

imbalance of 4 humours

how did the treat the black death

• confessing sins

• praying

• smelling strong smelling herbs or flowers

• lighting a fire

• bloodletting

• purging

prevention enforced by government

• quarantine laws for people new to an area or in houses with an outbreak

• no strangers to enter village

• stopped cleaning streets so the bad smell drove away the bad air

• events attracting large crowds were banned

• huge burial sites created