Renaissance Treatments

• What is the focus of the rapid revision video discussed in the study material?

  The causes and treatments of disease during the Renaissance
• How does the approach to causes and treatments in the Renaissance differ from that in Medieval medicine?

  Both causes and treatments are examined together rather than separately
• What are the two main categories of ideas regarding disease during the Renaissance?

  • Supernatural ideas: spiritual or religious, relying on faith
  • Natural ideas: based on observable phenomena and scientific reasoning
• What does the term "supernatural" mean in the context of the study material?

  It means literally beyond nature, often spiritual or religious
• What was the significance of the Protestant Reformation in relation to confession during the Renaissance?

  Confession became less common, especially in Protestant areas
• What major religious reforms occurred in the 1500s that affected pilgrimage?

  Henry VII and Edward VI's reforms destroyed monasteries and shrines
• What does humanism promote in the context of Renaissance medicine?

  It promotes a return to ancient Greek and Roman thinking and knowledge of the natural world
• How did the understanding of disease causation change during the Renaissance?

  There was a greater emphasis on natural and scientific explanations
• What was the most commonly believed cause of disease during the Renaissance?

  Miasma, or bad smells and evil fumes
• What was the miasma theory believed to be caused by?

  Rotten vegetables, decaying bodies, and dirty places
• What was the purpose of the bird mask worn by plague doctors?

  To ward off miasma and contain sweet-smelling herbs
• Who theorized that disease was caused by chemical problems inside the body?

  Paracelsus in 1526
• What did Giralamo Fracastoro theorize about disease in 1546?

  That disease was caused by seeds spread in the air
• What was the significance of Anthony van Leeuwenhoek's invention in 1683?

  It allowed the first recorded observation of bacteria
• How did the understanding of germs change during the Renaissance?

  Germs were thought to be a result of decay rather than the cause of it
• What were the common treatments during the Renaissance based on the theory of the four humors?

  • Bleeding
  • Purging
  • Sweating
• How were herbal remedies chosen during the Renaissance?

  Based on their color or shape
• What was the belief regarding the use of red herbs for treating smallpox?

  Red herbs were thought to cure smallpox due to its red rash
• What new remedies from the New World were introduced during the Renaissance?

  Sarsaparilla and ipecac
• What was the theory of transference in Renaissance medicine?

  Illness could be transferred to an object by rubbing it on the ailment
• How did alchemy influence medical treatments during the Renaissance?

  It inspired the search for chemical cures for diseases
• What was included in the pharmacopoeia Londonensis published in 1618?

  2140 remedies including 122 different chemical preparations
• What was the standard treatment for syphilis during the Renaissance?

  Mercury, despite its toxicity
• What were the main changes and continuities in the understanding of causes and treatments during the Renaissance?

  Continuities:

  • Belief in the four humors
  • Use of purging and bleeding

  
  

  Changes:

  • Shift towards humanist approaches
  • Introduction of chemical treatments
  • New herbal remedies from the New World
• What does the study material suggest about the effectiveness of new ideas in causes and treatments during the Renaissance?

  Very few new ideas had a beneficial impact on health
• How does the study material conclude regarding the progress of medical understanding during the Renaissance?

  It leaves the assessment of progress or continuity up to the viewer