Causes of Disease

• Religion

  • If someone lived a sinful life, illness was seen as God's punishment.
  • Widespread sinfulness could lead to plagues.
  • People believed God created plants for healing. Some plants, due to appearance, were believed to heal specific body parts.
• Bad Smells

  • Disease was linked to bad smells (miasma), especially in towns were more people died.
• Supernatural

  • Witchcraft and demons were commonly used to explain events.
  • Church's portrayal of of struggle between 'good' and 'evil' reinforced this.
  • God's punishment for sinful actions.
• Four Humours

  • Illness resulted from humours imbalance.
  • Doctors used charts developed from Hippocrates and Galen's theories, correlating illness with a humour imbalance.
• Astrology

  • Linked to illness and disease.
  • If alignment of stars was in a strange position it would cause disease.
  • Believed alignment of moon and zodiac signs affected your health.
• Physicians used this urine chart to diagnose illness and check the balance of humours.