medieval

• What did people believe caused illness? God punishing them for their sins or was testing their faith.
• Why was a religious centre of learning deemed a bad thing? This belief held back medical research and new ideas rarely came about.
• Who was the centre of formal learning? The Church - they set up and ran universities where physicians were trained.
• Who had a lot of influence of what books were written and read? Monasteries of monks and priests. They were able to read and write and large collections of books were held in monasteries.
• Why did the Church support Galen? His theories fitted Christian beliefs that the body had a soul and that all parts had been created by God to work together.
• What was the purpose of dissections? They were used to teach Galen’s theories about dissections and any contradicting ideas would be ignored. This meant the knowledge of anatomy did not develop.
• Where were hospitals housed? In monasteries and nunneries
• What was the Four Humours theory? If you had an imbalance of these humours, that made you ill. It was made by Hippocrates.
• What were the Four Humours? Blood, black and yellow bile, phlegm
• What was the Theory of Opposites? A theory created by Galen, developed from the 4 Humours. It aimed to balance the humours by giving a patient the “opposite” of their symptoms. For example, if you have a cold, have something hot.
• Miasma The theory that “bad air” made you ill. It was an accepted theory because it was thought bad smells indicated sin.
• who was Galen? A Greek doctor who wrote many books.His ideas were used as the basis of training in Medieval times.He drew detailed diagrams of human anatomy using his knowledge from dissections.
• who was Hippocrates? An Ancient Greek Doctor who dismissed the religious causes of disease.Very influential through medieval times and beyondHis treatments were based on diet, exercise and rest
• What was the Hippocratic Oath? Where doctors swore to respect life and prevent harm and provide the best care possible for patients.
• What was Hippocrates' method of clinical studying? Studying symptomsMaking notesComparing with similar casesDiagnosing and treating This is the basis of the approach used today.
• Bloodletting Common treatment for an imbalance of humoursDone by cutting a vain, using leeches or by cuppingSometimes performed by physicians but mainly barber-surgeons or non-medical people
• Purging Used to re-balance the humoursMade a person vomit or a laxative was usedLaxatives were made by apothecaries, wise women or at home
• what was religious prevention to general illness? Living a Christian lifeSelf-punishment such as flagellation, punishing yourself so God wouldn’t
• what were rational methods of treating illness? Keeping streets cleanBathing/washingExercisingPurifying the airNot overeating
• what were the religious treatments for illness? PrayingFastingGoing on a pilgrimagePaying for a special Mass to be said
• describe barber surgeons: no trainingcarried out bloodletting, pulling teeth and lancing boilsbasic surgery (very low success rate)cost less than a physician
• describe care at home: treated by a female family membervillage “wise woman” - would tend to people in their homes for free
• describe apothecaries: received training but no medical qualificationsmixed medicines and ointments based on their own knowledge of directioncost money, but less than a physician
• what did physcians do? observed symptoms and checked their pulse, skin colour and urineconsulted urine charts in their handbookconsulted zodiac charts
• what were hospitals like? sick or infectious people not allowed inplaces for travellers or pilgrimsrun by the Churchfresh food and plenty of rest
• When was the Black Death? 1348-1349
• What was the black death? a disease carried by fleas on black ratspassed to humans when an infected flea bit them
• what were the symptoms of the Black Death? swelling of lymph glandsfever and chillsheadachevomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain
• what were treatments for the Black Death? prayinglucky charmsdraining pus from buboeseating cool things and taking cold baths
• what were prevention methods for the Black Death? praying and fastingclearing streetslighting a fire, ringing bells, flying birds all for circulation of airherbs and spicesunknown people are not allowed in
• what were the supposed causes of the Black Death? GodAstrology (position of planets)MiasmaVolcanoes (poisonous gases)Outsiders (strangers or witches)Four Humours
• describe physicians: medically trained at universities and passed exams, diagnosed illnesses and gave treatments or sent them to barber-surgeons or apothecaries, expensive, very few of them, women very rare
• what was the superstitious prevention? Carrying lucky charms or amulet, Chanting incantations