medicine

• Four Humours


  The body was made up of four humours (blood, phlegm, black bile, and choler). The belief was that people became ill when their humours were not balanced an equal.
• Diagnosing people in the medieval period

  Physicians would look for a sign that the humours were imbalanced e.g. a flushed face might suggest that the person had too much blood
• Seasons and humours


  In winter, which is cold and wet, it was thought that the body produced too much phlegm, causing coughs and colds
• Theory of Opposites


  To cure people of illness they needed to re-balance the humours. E.g. if someone is flushed (blood) they might be treated with a cold and wet food, like a cucumber
• The Church supported the theory of the four humours as it allowed for the idea that God was causing the illnesses
• Physicians were seen to be good if they were well-read and so physicians wanted to be seen as spreading the ideas of Galen and Hippocrates
• There was a lack of alternatives to the Four Humours Theory because the Church made dissection illegal and so people did not have a good understanding of the period
• Miasma


  A bad air that was believed to be filled with harmful fumes
• The idea that miasma could transmit disease had been shared by Hippocrates and Galen
• A clean and sweet smelling home was a sign of spiritual cleanliness, and incense was burned in churches to purify the air
• If a person was unwashed, other people would avoid them, in case they breathed in the bad miasma and contracted a disease
• When someone recovered from illness the Church could declare that a miracle had happened
• The Church also taught that disease was sent by God to cleanse one's soul of sin
• Astrology


  The alignment of the planets and stars was studied by physicians in order to diagnose illness
• Astrology became very popular after the Black Death as there had been a strange alignment of the planets during this event
• Humoural treatments


  Each symptom was broken down and treated separately, as they believed each symptom represented an imbalance in the humours
• Blood-letting


  Phlebotomy, or bleeding, was the most common treatment for an imbalance in the humours. The idea was that bad humours could be removed from the body by removing some of the blood. Blood-letting was often carried our by barber surgeons and wise-women. They did this by; cutting a vein, using leeches or cupping.
• Sometimes, people were bled for too long and died as a result
• Purging


  Because it was believed that the humours were created by the foods eaten, a common belied was that a patient could be healed by removing food from the digestive system. This was done by giving people a emetic (to make them sick) or a laxative (to make someone go to the toilet)
• Theriaca


  A spice based mixture that could contain up to 70 ingredients. They were used for many different illnesses, Galen had written a book on theriacas
• Different foods


  • Blanc mangier was made from chicken and almonds
• Bathing


  Warm baths were prescribed to help the body draw in heat and to help dissolve blockages in the humours, it also steamed out impurities and eased aching joints. Various plants and herbs were added to the bath water.
• Those suffering from paralysis were advised to boil a fox in water and then bathe in it!
• Women


  Most people were treated within their home by women in the family. They would make the patient comfortable, prepare restorative foods and mix herbal remedies. Women would also be responsible for growing the plants needed to treat illness. Women were often well respected for their healing skills.
• Apothecaries


  They mainly mixed herbal remedies, having a good knowledge of the healing power of herbs and plants because of books written on the subject. Much of their knowledge came from experience passed down within their own families. Apothecaries were seen as a cheaper alternative to seeing a physician.
• Physicians


  Their main job was to diagnose illness and recommend treatment, they rarely diagnosed the treatment themselves. They would (1) look at a sample of urine, faeces, and blood, (2) consult astrological charts, and (3) suggest treatment.
• Surgeons


  Barber Surgeons were the least qualified medical professionals. They were barbers who had sharp knives and steady hands and so performed small surgeries e.g. bleeding patients. There were some highly trained surgeons who studied at universities and learned from experience. A skilled surgeon could set a broken limb, remove an arrow and even remove cataracts from eyes.
• By 1500 there were 1,100 hospitals in England. Bury St. Edmund's for example, had 6 hospitals. However, many hospitals didn't actual treat the sick but offered hospitality to travellers. About 30% of Churches in England were owned by the Church. These were run by monks and nuns.
• The rest were funded by endowment, when money was left by a wealth person in their will. Medieval hospitals were largely a place to rest and recover and were kept clean. But offered little options to cure disease.
• Most people believed that living a life free of sin was the best way of preventing illness. Regular prayers, confessions and payment of Tithes to the Church would ensure that minor sins were forgiven.
• People knew it was important to keep clean and followed the Regimin Sanitatis which was a set of instructions to help a patient maintain good health.
• People made sure that their homes smelled sweet and fresh. Floors were swept regularly. Sometimes sweet smelling herbs like lavender were spread.
• Eating too much was strongly discouraged. According to the chroniclers of the time, several medieval kings died from eating too much or having too rich a diet. Many people purged themselves.
• The Church was the most significant factor affecting medical understanding in the medieval period. Everyone in England was Catholic and listened to what the Church said because they were scared that they might otherwise go to Hell in their afterlife.
• Medieval kings believed that they were appointed by God and that they had healing properties. Some kings aimed to touch up to 2000 people each year to spread their healing.
• Hippocrates invented the Theory of Four Humours and the Hippocratic Oath. His ideas were supported by the Church.
• Galen invented the Theory of Opposites. His ideas were supported by the Church.
• This period lacked scientific understanding and technology.
• People in the medieval period were incredibly religious. They had no ambitions to rationally explain questions about disease and illness because the Church taught that disease was caused by sin, and people did not want to question this in case they went to hell.
• People who fell ill during the period 1500 to 1700 were likely to believe the same things about the cause of their illness as their medieval ancestors.