medieval medicine

• In medieval Britain, the church was very powerful and influential, and people believed that disease was a punishment from God or caused by evil spirits, demons, or witches (supernatural causes)
• There was also a belief that the position of the planets or stars (astrology) could affect the body and cause disease
• The church did not want people to challenge God by dissecting the human body, which prevented progress in understanding the true makeup of the human body
• Hippocrates


  The "father of medicine" who observed the human body and developed the theory of the four humors (blood, phlegm, yellow bile, black bile)
• Galen


  A Greek doctor who worked in Rome, developed the theory of opposites to treat imbalances in the four humors, and dissected animals to understand the human body, but his findings were based on animals and were therefore wrong
• The church supported Galen's ideas because he wrote about a Supreme Being, so people in medieval Britain continued to follow his outdated theories
• Miasma


  The belief that bad air or smells caused disease, which was an ancient Greek and Roman idea that persisted in medieval Britain and even into the 1800s
• The understanding of the causes of disease in medieval Britain was poor, which would have implications for their treatments, prevention, and cures
• Infectious diseases were often associated with foul odors, leading to the miasma theory.
• Bloodletting involved cutting the patient's skin with a lancet and draining off some of their blood.
• Doctors also thought that diseases could be passed from person to person through touch, breath, or bodily fluids such as blood, urine, feces, vomit, sweat, tears, saliva, and semen
• Surgery was rarely performed in medieval times due to the lack of understanding of anatomy and the high risk of infection.
• Doctors used bloodletting to remove excess blood from patients, believing it would cure them of illnesses such as fever and headaches.
• Medieval doctors believed that diseases could be spread through contact with infected objects like clothing, bedding, food, and drink
• Herbal remedies, such as using plants like chamomile or lavender, were often employed to treat various ailments in medieval medicine.
• Medieval doctors believed that diseases could be spread through contact with infected individuals, as well as through contaminated food and water
• Bloodletting was a common medical treatment in medieval times, based on the belief that balancing the four humors could restore health.
• Purgatives such as laxatives and emetics were used to purge the body of impurities.
• Cupping involves applying heated cups to the skin to create suction and draw out impurities from the body.
• Surgeons had limited success rates due to unsanitary conditions and lack of proper medical training
• Some physicians used surgical procedures to treat patients, but they lacked knowledge on how to properly sterilize instruments and prevent infection
• Medieval doctors believed that surgery could cause more harm than good because it opened up wounds on the body, allowing evil spirits to enter and causing further damage.
• Many people turned to religion instead of medical treatment when they fell ill, believing that prayer and confession could heal them.
• Dietary remedies included eating specific foods like garlic, honey, and vinegar.
• The Black Death killed about one-third of Europe's population between 1347 and 1350