History medicine through time

• What time period does the Medieval era cover in this study material?

  1250-1500
• Who was Hippocrates?

  Greek physician who devised the idea of Four Humours
• What was Galen known for?

  He was a Roman physician and author of over 60 books.
• What are the key vocabulary terms related to medieval medicine?

  • Physician: person who practices medicine
  • Barber surgeon: cut hair and carried out blood-letting
  • Apothecary: mixed herbal remedies
  • Remedy: cure for an illness
  • Four Humours: liquids in the body that must remain in balance for good health
• What were the supernatural ideas about the cause of disease during the Medieval period?

  People believed disease was a punishment sent by God.
• How did astrology relate to medical diagnoses in the Medieval period?

  Physicians consulted star charts and the patient's birth to make diagnoses.
• What is the concept of Four Humours?

  It is the idea that the body is made up of four liquids that must remain in balance for good health.
• How did Galen contribute to the idea of Four Humours?

  He developed the theory of Opposites to balance the humours.
• What is miasma in the context of Medieval medicine?

  Miasma refers to bad-smelling air thought to be harmful and cause disease.
• What were the approaches to treatment and prevention in Medieval medicine?

  • Treatments included religious/supernatural methods, humoural treatments, and remedies.
  • Prevention involved prayer, basic hygiene, and purifying bad air.
• Who cared for the sick in the Medieval period?

  Physicians, apothecaries, and surgeons cared for the sick.
• How did physicians diagnose illnesses in the Medieval period?

  They diagnosed illnesses by observing samples of urine, faeces, and blood, and consulting astrological charts.
• How many hospitals were there by 1500, and what percentage were run by the Church?

  Approximately 1,100 hospitals, with 30% run by the Church.
• What was the impact of the Black Death on the British population?


  It killed 1/3 of the British population between 1348-50.
• What were the two types of plague during the Black Death?

  Bubonic Plague and Pneumonic Plague.
• What were the common beliefs about the cause of the Black Death?

  People believed it was a punishment from God or an imbalance of the Four Humours.
• How did local governments attempt to deal with the Black Death?

  They built new cemeteries, closed Parliament, and enforced street cleaning.
• What were the consequences of the Black Death on the workforce?

  Fewer workers led to higher wages and more freedoms for those who remained.
• What examples of continuity are noted from the Medieval to the Renaissance period?

  • Continued belief in the Four Humours and miasma.
  • The Church's control over education and limited spread of new ideas.
  • Use of the Regimen Sanitatis for hygiene.
• Who is Thomas Sydenham and what was his contribution?

  He is known as the "English Hippocrates" for observing patients' symptoms.
• What did Versalius discover?

  He found errors in Galen's ideas through dissections.
• What did William Harvey discover?

  He discovered how blood circulates around the body.
• What were the key vocabulary terms related to the Renaissance period?

  • Anatomy: the human body
  • Diagnose: to look at symptoms to determine disease
  • Miasma: foul smells thought to cause disease
  • Quarantine: isolating ill persons to stop disease spread
  • Transference: rubbing an object on a wound to transfer illness
• What advancements were made in the Renaissance regarding the cause of disease?

  There was scientific progress and a better understanding of anatomy.
• How did the printing press impact the spread of medical ideas during the Renaissance?

  It allowed for the rapid dissemination of new ideas and research.
• What was the significance of the Royal Society during the Renaissance?

  It allowed scientists to gather and share research.
• What was the public perception of the Four Humours during the Renaissance?

  Most people still believed in it, despite scientific advancements.
• What was the role of apothecaries and surgeons during the Renaissance?

  They were better trained and provided more herbal remedies.
• What were the recommended prevention measures during the Great Plague of 1665?

  Measures included prayer, quarantine, and marking affected houses.
• What were the examples of change noted from the Medieval to the Renaissance period?

  • Understanding that the Four Humour theory was wrong.
  • Better understanding of the human body.
  • More remedies available from the New World.
  • Use of chemical cures.
• What was the impact of Louis Pasteur's germ theory?

  It proved that microbes caused disease and could be killed by heat.
• Who identified specific microbes and developed methods to study them?

  Robert Koch
• What was the belief of Henry Bastian regarding germ theory?

  He did not believe in germ theory and supported spontaneous generation.
• What did Florence Nightingale contribute to medicine?

  She developed ideas of modern nursing and hospital design.
• What did James Simpson discover?

  He discovered chloroform.
• What did Joseph Lister develop for surgery?

  He developed the use of carbolic acid to tackle infection.
• What was John Snow's contribution to understanding cholera?

  He worked out that cholera was caused by dirty water.
• Who came up with the concept of vaccination?

  Edward Jenner
• What are the key vocabulary terms related to the C18th - C19th period?

  • Anaesthetic: a drug that makes a patient unconscious during surgery
  • Germ: a small organism that can cause disease
  • Antiseptic: germ-free
  • Microbe: germ that can cause disease
  • Spontaneous generation: idea about the cause of decay
  • Epidemic: rapid spread of a disease
• What was the significance of the Age of Enlightenment in the C18th?

  It encouraged people to think for themselves rather than just follow the Church's ideas.