Medicine in medieval England was based on religious, supernatural and rational ideas
The Church held great power over the practice of medicine
The Black Death reached Britain in 1348
The Black Death affected both the rich and the poor, and those who lived in towns and the countryside
Symptoms of the Black Death
Buboes in the armpit or groin, chest pains and a fever
People could die within days
Treatments used for the Black Death

Confession of sins or prayer
Smelling strong-smelling herbs, sweet-smelling flowers or lighting a fire
Bloodletting or purging (e.g. vomiting or use of laxatives)
Herbal remedies were an important treatment for all types of illness, including the Black Death
Attempts by individuals to prevent the spread of the Black Death

Confession, prayer, fasting, carrying posies (bunches of flowers) and herbs
Attempts by authorities to prevent the spread of the Black Death

Quarantine laws - people new to an area had to stay away from others for 40 days, houses were placed in quarantine where there had been an outbreak, strangers were not allowed to enter a village
Stopping street cleaning as they believed the smells from the waste would drive away any bad air
Banning events that attracted large crowds, such as religious processions
Creating huge burial sites where the dead would be buried in mass graves
All of these actions were difficult to enforce because the Church continued to have a lot of power, and individuals continued to follow the advice given by the Church