Medieval Period

• Theory of Four Humours

  Developed by Hippocrates, suggested body made up of four liquids (humours): blood, phlegm, black and yellow bile
• Theory of Four Humours

  • An imbalance of these substances caused illness and disease
  • Each humour was linked to certain characteristics that would aid diagnosis
  • Theory was endorsed by Church because Galen believed in human soul
• Galen, an ancient Roman physician, came up with the balance theory
• Miasma Theory

  Bad air that was believed to be harmful
• Miasma Theory

  • Belief that bad air and smells contained poisonous fumes which caused diseases and illnesses
  • Any rotting matter could transmit diseases e.g. swamps, corpses
  • Good smells considered to be spiritually healthy
  • Badly smelling people considered sinful
• Supernatural Explanations

  • Astrology used to diagnose illnesses
  • From when you were born believed you could work out when you would be sick + what made you sick
  • Condemned by Church - challenged their beliefs
• Religious Explanations

  • Church taught sins were to blame for illness and disease was a punishment from God
  • Recovery was thanks to patient's prayers
  • Disease sent by God to cleanse the soul and test your faith
  • Church controlled medical learning
  • Strongly discouraged people from opposing the theory
• Rational Treatment - 4 Humours

  1. Bloodletting - cutting the vein, use of Phlebotomy charts, bleeding for specific illnesses

  2. Leeching - placing leeches on skin, used where bloodletting too dangerous

  3. Cupping - heated cup placed over bleeding skin that had been pierced by a knife to create a vacuum and draw out more blood

  4. Purging - giving someone something to make them vomit (an emetic) or a laxative
• Emetics

  • Made from strong herbs e.g. aniseed or parsley
• Laxatives

  • Linseeds used
• Food chillies suggested for someone with a cold
• Prevention strategies for disease in Medieval England

  According to the Church
• Living a good virtuous life

  1. Prayer

  2. Fasting

  3. Confession
• Tithe

  A tax of 10% (money or goods)
• Physicians

  • Reginin Sanitatis: 2 effective recommendations - keep clean with regular bathing, take moderate exercise
  • 12 Less effective recommendations - stay on friendly terms with your neighbour, avoid barking dogs
• Civic / Government

  • Newcastle - paved all streets - easier to clean
  • London - public toilets (over a dozen were built)
  • Passed laws banning the processing of animals within city walls
  • Hull-night carts created to collect waste
  • Exeter-aqeduct to carry clean water into the city
• Medieval Medies

  • Attended university for between 7 and 10 years to get a medical degree
  • Diagnosed illness /suggested treatment - rarely treated patients as many were clergymen - not allowed to bleed/cut
  • Studied patient's blood + urine-consulted star charts for diagnosis
  • Could only be afforded by wealthy
  • Fewer than 100 physcicians in England in the 14th century
• Apothecary


  Mixed herbal remedies
• Apothecary


  • Gained knowledge from experience + medical books
  • Less expensive than a doctor
  • Some used supernatural treatments
• Supernatural treatments


  • Charms
  • Materia Medicae
• Apothecaries could also prescribe poisons, so some considered untrustworthy
• Apothecaries were not bound by the same rules as physicians ('do no harm')
• Surgery


  Done by your barber: (least qualified medical professionals)
• Surgery


  • Re-set broken bones
  • Stitches
  • Pull out teeth
  • Amputate
• Surgical innovations


  • John Bradmore - invented forceps to prize an arrow head from Henry V's cheek
  • Put honey in wound, scooped honey out and stitched it up
• Hospitals


  Offered hospitality rather than treatment
• Hospitals


  • Estimated 1,100 hospitals by 1500
  • Church owned 30% of hospitals in England - monks & nuns gave care
  • Larger hospitals set up especially for the poor
  • Rejected infectious, insane and pregnant patients
  • Cared for the elderly - mainly offered food, warmth and prayers
  • Funded by Endowment
  • Kept clean bed liners + clothing changed regularly
  • Small - beds for around 6-8 people
  • St Leonard's in York had over 200 beds (largest)
• Home care


  • Cared for by female family member
  • Sometimes used knowledge of local wise woman
• Home treatments


  • Rest
  • Herbal remedies
  • Warmth
  • Keeping well fed
• Treatments used in Medieval England

  • Religious
  • Supernatural
  • Astrology
  • Herbal Remedies
• Religious treatments

  • Treated with: prayer
  • fasting - to prove to God you're worthy of forgiveness
  • touching relics
  • pilgramage sometimes bear foot - show God your repentance
• Supernatural treatments

  • Scrafula (aka King's evil) - believed King's touch could heal it
  • Edward I touched 2,000 people per year with scrafula
• Astrology treatments

  charts/ calendars to predict when someone would need treatment + what treatment they would need at certain tires of year
• Herbal Remedies

  • using natural plants + products
  • honey antiseptic properties
  • wine
  • onions
  • garlic
  • aloe vera
  • all have gernu-killing properties
  • herbs used to rebalance the four humours
• The Black Death (1348)

  • Symptoms: chest pains and breathing troubles, fever, boils and black buboes appearing in the groin and armupits, sneezing and coughing up blood
  • Treatment: people prayed, confessed sins and asked God for forgiveness, bleeding, purging treatments based on Galen's teaching to rebalance the four humours, a victim would sniff strong hube (e.g. Myrch) to replace the miasma in their body
• Cause Theories of the Black Death

  • God sent the disease as punishment for sins
  • An unusual alignment of planets and stars
  • An imbalance of the four humours or the presence of evil within the body
  • Miasma - often believed to have come from earthquakes or volcanoes
• Prevention of the Black Death

  • King and Bishops ordered processione everyday in Churches to praise God
  • Holy Charms + Amulets work to ward off the disease
  • Victims' houses were quarantined
  • People went on pilgramages and fasted
  • Ringing bells + birds were used to keep air moving
  • Flagellants whipped themselves to earn God's protection
  • A person would sniff strong herbs called posies to replace miasma in their bodies
  • Butchers made to use segregated to stop animal waste polluting the streets
  • Attempted to enforce quarantine laws - ineffective