Causes

• Medieval people thought that illness was caused by a question of the church versus natural ideas
• Most medieval theories about the cause of illness and disease could be split between natural (Hippocrates and Galen) and supernatural (Christianity)
• Supernatural


  Beyond nature, often spiritual or religious theories that rely on an element of faith
• Natural


  Based on what could be observed in the real world, often more scientific but not always correct
• The church was incredibly powerful in the Middle Ages, influencing views on medicine and causing fear of going against their teachings
• The church believed that God caused disease


  People feared going to hell if they disagreed
• Galen's idea about Perfect Design


  The body had been specifically designed by a greater power
• People believed diseases were a punishment from God for their sins or a way of God testing their faith
• Prior of Christchurch Abby: 'God used the suffering to drive out the numberless sins of the people'
• Many people in the Middle Ages were highly superstitious, believing in witchcraft, luck, and astrology
• Physicians believed that the alignment of stars and planets could affect health and cause disease
• Astrology was a key part of medical training in the 14th century, with physicians using planetary movements and zodiac signs in treatment
• Medieval Physicians used urine charts to diagnose disease based on color, thickness, smell, and taste of urine
• Urine tasting was used to diagnose diseases like diabetes based on the sweetness of the urine
• Uroscopy remained the standard way of diagnosing diabetes until the 19th century
• Medieval Physicians had no idea about the limitations of their diagnostic methods
• Medieval Physicians had no idea that they were wrong and no one knew what really caused disease
• Only the rich could afford to use Physicians
• Medieval Physicians used the four humors
• Ordinary People believed in the theory of miasma as a cause of illness
• People blamed bad stinking air called miasma for causing diseases
• King Edward III of England in the 14th century linked bad air to contagious sickness
• Miasma is not the same idea as Airborne diseases like viruses and bacteria
• Medieval people believed illness was sent by God as a punishment for sins
• People believed the devil's helpers would shoot invisible arrows at people to cause illness
• People believed in elf shot causing illnesses like headaches
• People believed illnesses were caused by the four humors being unbalanced by noxious air
• Outbreak of prey at plague in 1361 was believed to be a punishment from God
• Witches were blamed for illnesses as they had put curses on people
• Alignment of planets was believed to cause illness if unfavorable
• Medieval understanding of the cause of disease divided between Supernatural and natural theories
• Supernatural theories of disease

  • Influence of the church
  • God's actions and punishments
  • Evil spirits
  • Astrology
  • Motion of the stars and planets
• Natural theories of disease

  • Hippocrates
  • Galen
  • Avicenna
  • The four humors
  • Miasma
  • Uroscopy
• Both Supernatural and natural theories of disease were incorrect and had little help to heal the sick