Renaissance period

• The three factors that allowed the evolution of the new ideas in the renaissance period was

  • the decline of the power of the church
  • individuals/humanism
  • development of technology
• The decline of the power of the church

  • Church began to break into two sects, protestant/catholics, Protestantism was a movement which began in Germany 1250 which accused the catholic church of corruption/ignoring the teachings of the bible. England became protestant in 1534. The new church allowed more scientific progresses as previous restrictions lifted. eg dissection.
• Individuals/humanism

  • Individuals became more curious about understanding disease
  • humanism rejected God almighty power but supported individuals controlling their own fate, this allowed scientists like Thomas Sydenham and institutions like the royal society to disprove old ideas
• Development of technology

  • microscopes, became more powerful allowing scientists to view microorganisms like bacteria for the first time.
  • Printing press, the spread of knowledge through printing books
• New ideas

  • Alchemy
  • Medical texts
  • Understanding of the human body
• New idea: Alchemy

  early forms of chemistry, the understanding of substances which allowed people to use science understand disease and develop cures
• New idea: Medical texts

  • the development of the printing press increased the creation of medical textbook without the church influence. e.g. On contagion (1546) which states seeds in the air caused disease
• New idea: Understanding of the human body

  by allowing human dissection led to more accurate drawings of the human anatomy

  e.g. the English scientist William Harvey discovered the circulatory system
• Old ideas that changed a lot during the renaissance period was the theory of the four humours

  • decreased in influence by the 17th century amongst physicians
  • Physicians looked at other medical texts to research patients symptoms
  • However the general public only wanted their conditions explained in terms of the four humours
• Old ideas that changed a little during the renaissance was the influence of the church

  • it was now understood that God didn't make people sick
  • However, in times of national emergency people still looked to religion for explanation/ prevention
• Old ideas that changed a little is supernatural

  • belief in astrology declined in the 16th century
  • however, in time of plague people still wore charms to warn of evil spirits
• Old ideas that stayed the same: Miasma

  • the theory remained hugely influential and increase in importance in times of epidemics
• Medical advancement during the renaissance: scientific discovery

  -The publication of nearly 600 editions of Galen's work occurred in the 16th century. Re-studying these texts did not help people find the answers that they were seeking

  -The rebirth encouraged the pursuit of scientific explanations for why people became ill

  -Development of humanism helped individuals to distance themselves from religious explanations

  -people began to focus on logical causes for illness
• Medical advancements during the renaissance: Thomas Sydenham

  • he was a humanist who was inspired by plants and animals , believing that if other living things were grouped in characteristics so can diseases
• Sydenham theory stated

  • A patients symptom indicated the disease they had e.g. chicken pox
  • The symptoms is the same for everybody
  • symptoms did not depend om the patient (people thought star signs affected symptoms)
  • every patient should receive the same remedy( physicians made personalised methods of treatment)
• Sydenham's impact

  • he believed the disease dictated the symptoms
  • the theory of opposites argued that the person dictated the symptoms whereas Sydenham argued disease impacted a person symptoms
• Medical advancements during the renaissance: the printing 1440

  • the church could no longer control the publication of books as it did in the medieval times when all books were hand written by monks
  • scientists would publish their work to be shared
• Medical advancements during the renaissance: The royal society

  • An organisation that allowed scientists from across Europe to share discoveries and discuss ideas
  • The support given by King Charles the second in 1662 gave power and influence to the royal society and they released their first journal to share ideas
• Treatments during renaissance Britain Transference

  • By observation scientists began to understand diseases could be passed from person to person
  • Transference is the idea that touching an object or another animal could move a disease from one thing to another
  • Using this idea many physicians prescribed treatments e.g. rubbing onions on warts
• Treatments during the renaissance Iatrochemistry (medical chemistry)

  • stemmed from experimenting with metal to create chemical cures e.g. syphilis
  • however it remained dangerous and a threat to the health of the people
• Changes to medical medics during the renaissance: Apothecaries

  • organised into guild systems
  • better education
  • required a license to practice
• Changes to medical medics during the renaissance period: Surgeons

  • more complex surgery due to complicated wounds from improved weaponry in wars
  • better education
  • required a license to produce
• Changes to medical medics during the renaissance period: physicians

  • better understanding of anatomy through dissection
  • wider selection of medical textbooks were available at university
• Continuity to medical medics during the renaissance: Apothecaries

  • provided herbal remedies
  • cared for poorer patients
  • remedies could still be dangerous
• Continuity to medical medics during the renaissance: surgeons

  • cared for poorer patients
  • survival rates for surgery remained low
• Continuity to medical medics during the renaissance : Physicians

  • required university training
  • training remained theoretical rather then practical
• Andreas Vesalius

  • He wrote ' on the fabric of the human body' which noted over 300 mistakes Galen made on the human anatomy
  • e.g. the lower jaw being one part not two
• Andreas Vesalius's impact

  • he encouraged physicians to focus on dissection rather than believing in old theories
  • he popularised the study of anatomy
  • he shared his work inspiring physicians like William Harvey
• William Harvey

  • he wrote ' An atomical account of the motion of the heart and blood in animals in 1628'
  • he discovered that the heart worked like a mechanical fire pump
  • he disproved Galen's theory that the liver created blood
• William Harvey's Impact

  • his book on the human heart made a breakthrough
  • he encouraged other scientists to use bodies to further their understanding, a lot of people improved his work
• Hospitals and pest houses in renaissance period

  • many visited to gain food, shelter and prayer
  • records show increasing numbers of patients were discharged this means the hospitals were becoming more successful
  • monks were no longer able to provide day to day care required to keep them open
  • Medieval hospitals was for care not curing patients through comfort and prayer, during the renaissance period a greater focus was on attempting to cure using medical treatments
• Prevention of disease superstition

  • people still believed that the supernatural influenced their health
  • many people used praying in attempt to prevent illness however other rational ideas grew in influence e.g. eating in moderation
• Prevention of disease: Regimen Sanitates

  • many people continued the practices in regimen sanitatis to keep themselves healthy
  • bathing became less popular as disease spread quickly in their environment
  • to maintain better health people changed their clothes more often /they moved away from an area with disease
• Prevention of disease: Miasma

  • local government targeted the removal of miasma by giving fines to those who didn't clean up outside their house, projects to drain swaps were put in place
• Prevention of disease: weather conditions

  • idea that weather conditions could spread disease became more popular in renaissance period
  • epidemics spread more in summer than the winter which led people to believe it was the cause