History(medicine)

• the 4 humours(Hippocrates-theory on cause of disease)


  blood ,phloem, yellow bile, black bile-linked to the 4 seasons/need to be balanced for good health
• miasma-(medieval/renaissance)

  • bad air causes disease-lasted until the 1860's
  • promoted people to do hygienic things(e.g. cleaning streets)
• 4 humours (treatment)

  • disease could be treated using opposites
  • diff. foods ,drinks, herbs/spices had a humour which could balance the excessive humour that was causing disease
• Galen

  • many of his ideas were taught for centuries(incorrect ones)
  • only dissected on animals-animal/human bodies were very different
  • some ideas about anatomy was wrong
• treating disease

  1. praying/repentance-(holy shrines/flagellants -people who whipped themselves public in order to show to God that they were sorry)
  2. blood letting(take blood out of body/make small cuts or use leaches)-people were accidently killed because too much blood was taken/purging-(getting rid of other fluids from the body by excreting/doctors=gave laxatives)
  3. purifying the air(lavender-scent would fill room and kill disease
• healers(medieval)

  • physicians -little practice(male doctors, trained in universities for at least 7 YEARS- read ancient texts),very expensive-only rich could afford it
  • Apothecary -prepared and sold remedies(trained through apprenticeships-wise woman-sold herbal remedies)-for those who couldnt afford to go to a physician
  • barber surgeons-carried most of the operations-also cut hair-had little medical training
  • a few public hospitals -most people were treated at home by family members(main=women)-hospitals=provided basic medical treatments ,food, water, warm place to stay
• when was the black death?


  1348-50(killed one third and one half of the populace in london)
• theriaca


  herbal remedies which consisted over 70 ingredients
• what did the government do(prevention)

  • new cemeteries to be build outside of town
  • Edward 3(1349) closed parliament
  • unsuccessful as many people in the town died
• Bubonic plague 


  spread by bites of fleas from rats carried on ships-caused headaches+ high temperature-followed by swelling
• Pneumonic plague(airborne)


  Spread by coughs and sneezes it attacked the lungs making it painful to breathe-victims(coughed blood)