Renaissance Medicine

• Andrea Vesalius


  An anatomist who based his work on human dissection, showed different parts of the human body labelled, disproved Galen, and made anatomy popularised in physicians
• Andrea Vesalius


  • He was an anatomist
  • He based his work on human dissection
  • He showed different parts on the human body labelled
  • He wrote "on the fabric of the human body"
  • He disproved Galen - men didn't have two ribs & jawbone was one not two
  • He was part of the first time period where dissections were carried out on humans
• William Harvey


  He studied at Cambridge, was a lecturer on anatomy and a royal physician to king James 1, wrote "anatomical account of the motion of the heart and blood", discovered how blood flows around the body and how the heart works, proved that arteries and veins are linked
• Thomas Sydenham


  He wrote "observation Medicae", refused to rely on medical textbooks whilst diagnosing, didn't believe in the four humours, observed his patients and gave them a diagnosis based on his observations, believed disease should be classified like biologist classify animals
• Factors allowing Improvement in Renaissance Medicine

  • Individuals - Vesalius, Harvey, Pare, Thomas Sydenham
  • Attitudes - decline in church, dissections became more common, more scientific discovery
  • Science and technology - Harvey used early microscope, invention of the fire pump, scientific method and use of observations, printing press, 30x microscope
  • Communication - printing press, spread of written words and books
  • Institutions - decline in influence of church, Royal Society, "philosophical transactions" scientific journal
• Causes of disease in Renaissance

  • Galen's theory was disproved - Changes from Medieval
  • Physicians carried out more observations based on - Changes from Medieval
  • Physicians relied on medical textbooks for diagnosis - Continuity from Medieval
  • Strong belief in miasma - Continuity from Medieval
  • Astrology and religion were still believed in but not as strong as Middle Ages - Continuity from Medieval
• Treatment in Renaissance


  • Continuity from Medieval - Bleeding, sweating, purging, Herbal remedies
  • Change from Medieval - Herbs chosen according to colour, New plants discovered in America, Introduction of chemicals for medical treatment
  • Transference - believe disease can be transferred from human to animal
• Prevention in Renaissance


  • Continuity from Medieval - Avoiding disease through moderation, Hygiene, Miasma leaving by burning herbs
  • Change from Medieval - Bathhouses were avoided due to syphilis, Stronger belief that climate causing disease
• Medical Care in Renaissance

  • Continuity from Medieval - Apothecaries used to mix herbal remedies, Barber surgeons continued to carry out operations, Physicians still trained in universities
  • Change from Medieval - Physicians began to dissect, Ideas were spread, Ambrose Pare began using ligatures instead of cauterisation
• Caring for Sick in Renaissance

  • Continuity from Medieval - Hospitals, Women still helped treating disease
  • Change from Medieval - Number of hospitals greatly reduced, Patients began to go to hospitals for treatment not care, Physicians and barber surgeons would visit hospital, Pest houses were made to contain contagious disease
• The Great Plague (1665-66)


  Same plague as the Black Death, last major epidemic of bubonic plague, killed 100,000 people in 18 months, transmitted through infected flea, smaller scale than Black Death
• Causes of the Great Plague

  • Astrological - unusual alignment of Saturn and Jupiter, sighting of a comet
  • Religion - man's wickedness causing God's punishment
  • Miasma - disease created by rubbish and dunghills, vapour released during summer
• Treatment of the Great Plague

  • Physicians advised sitting in woollen cloth to sweat out disease
  • Herbal remedies were used
  • Quack doctors took advantage
  • Transference - buboes lanced with feather of live chicken, sleeping next to chicken
• Prevention of the Great Plague

  • Government intervention - searchers, quarantine, public gathering bans, cleaning streets, burning fires
  • Killing cats and dogs
  • Belief that catching syphilis would stop plague
• Scientific Revolution

  People stopped relying on God and started to use observation to understand the world, started the scientific method - hypothesis, experimental testing, emphasis on observations
• Renaissance


  Cultural movement - art, literature, history and politics, advanced knowledge rather than superstition
• Protestant Reformation


  Direct challenge to Catholic church, teachings criticised leading to split, undermined ideas of medicine
• Age of Exploration


  America was discovered, new civilizations were discovered, new plants and new diseases were discovered
• what is cauterisation 


  pouring hot oil over wound to stop bleeding