Health

• Hippocrates


  Ancient Greek doctor who developed the theory of the four humours
• Galen


  Roman doctor known for his work on anatomy and influence on medieval medicine
• Four Humours

  Blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile; believed to cause illness when out of balance
• Trepanning

  Surgical procedure cutting a hole in the skull to release 'bad spirits
• Bloodletting


  Medical treatment to balance humours by removing blood
• Canon of Medicine


  Famous medical book by Ibn Sina exploring anatomy and natural treatments
• Cauterisation

  Process to stop bleeding by heating iron and pressing it onto a wound
• Miasma Theory


  Belief that bad air spreads disease, a possible cause of the Black Death
• Flagellants

  People who whipped themselves to show penance during the Black Death
• Monasteries

  Religious institutions providing healthcare and preserving ancient medical works
• Islamic Medicine


  Medical advancements in Islamic kingdoms influencing medieval England
• Bubonic Plague


  Disease causing buboes, spread by rats and fleas during the Black Death
• Pneumonic Plague


  Highly fatal plague spread through coughing and sneezing
• Al-Razi


  Doctor who planned the first general hospital in Baghdad and distinguished between smallpox and measles
• Ibn Sina

  Doctor and author of The Canon of Medicine, building on Galen's works
• Barbers


  Performed basic surgery including tooth extraction and bloodletting in medieval Britain
• Public Health


  Concerns with sanitation and disease spread in medieval towns
• Church Influence

  Controlled medical teachings and limited progress in medieval medicine
• Trepanning

  Surgical procedure cutting a hole in the skull to release 'bad spirits
• Anaesthetics

  Herbal mixtures used to reduce pain during medieval surgeries
• Black Death

  Deadly pandemic in medieval Europe caused by bubonic and pneumonic plague
• Monastic Healthcare


  Provided free care and preserved ancient medical knowledge in monasteries
• Islamic Charity


  Funded hospitals in medieval times, advancing medical practices
• Monastic Libraries


  Preserved medical texts and supported learning in medieval monasteries
• Supernatural Treatments

  Included prayer, astrology, and trepanning in medieval medicine
• Renaissance

  Historical period in late 1400s bridging Middle Ages to Early Modern era.
• Wealthy businessmen

  Sponsored scholars and artists to investigate Ancient Greek and Roman knowledge.
• Printing press


  Invented by Johannes Gutenberg in 1451, revolutionizing book production.
• Andreas Vesalius


  Belgian professor of surgery who corrected Galen's anatomical mistakes.
• Ambroise Pare


  French barber surgeon who improved surgical techniques during the Renaissance.
• William Harvey


  Studied at Cambridge and revolutionized the understanding of physiology.
• Ibn-al-nafis


  Proposed blood circulation before Harvey's proof.
• Capillaries


  Tiny blood vessels discovered after Harvey's work.
• Nicholas Culpeper


  Authored 'Complete Herbal' in English, criticizing pharmacy prices.
• Quackery


  Selling medicines without proper knowledge or effectiveness.
• Rhubarb


  Used from Asia to purge the bowels.
• Opium

  Anesthetic introduced from Turkey, highly addictive.
• Tobacco

  Initially hailed as a universal cure upon arrival from America.
• St Bartholomew's Hospital

  London hospital with significant growth by the 1660s.
• Four Humours


  Belief in balancing bodily fluids for health, prevalent in treatments.