Medicine in Renaissance England (1500-1700)

• The medical Renaissance in England, c.1500-c.1700 was a period of new learning, ideas and approaches to medicine
• After the Reformation in the mid-16th century, the power of the Church declined and science began to play a more influential role in learning
• Some scientists and doctors began to challenge the old ideas by asking questions and seeking evidence themselves
• Popular beliefs about the causes of disease and illness

  • Imbalance of the four humours
  • Bad air, or miasma
• The theory of the four humours had been discredited by c.1700, but most people still believed in the idea
• New medical ideas and discoveries

  • Small seeds spread in the air were observed using newly invented microscopes
  • Factors outside the human body (eg temperature), rather than the four humours inside the body
  • 'Animalcules' - tiny animals that could only be seen using a microscope
• These new ideas had little impact, as the general public continued to believe that illness was caused by an imbalance of the four humours
• Printing press


  Invention in the 15th century that allowed books to be printed rather than written out by hand
• The invention of the printing press meant that the Church no longer had control over what was written in books, and physicians and scientists were able to publish ideas that challenged people like Galen
• The Royal Society


  Founded in 1660 in London to support scientists in carrying out experiments, debating new ideas and sharing new discoveries
• The Royal Society was supported by Charles II, which increased the popularity and credibility of the organisation
• In 1665, the Royal Society began to issue its scientific journal
• In the 21st century, The Royal Society continues to publish scientific journals and carries out its mission across the UK and globally
• Andreas Vesalius


  The most famous anatomist of the Renaissance
• Andreas Vesalius


  • Improved the existing understanding of anatomy
  • Challenged the ideas of the ancient Greek physician Galen
  • Encouraged the discovery of more new ideas about the human body and medicine
• Vesalius' work


  1. Studied in Paris where humanist ideas about medicine were popular

  2. Became a lecturer in surgery at the University of Padua

  3. Carried out dissections to learn about the human body and correct the mistakes of Galen

  4. Published details of his dissections in a book called 'On the Fabric of the Human Body'
• Dissection had previously been viewed as extremely indecent and blasphemous, but was no longer banned because the power of the Church was decreasing
• Vesalius was able to carry out a large number of dissections because a local magistrate allowed him to use the bodies of executed criminals
• Vesalius' discoveries


  • The human jaw has one bone, not two
  • The human breastbone has three parts, not seven
  • Blood does not flow into the heart through invisible holes in the septum but is 'diffused' through it
• Vesalius' book was used to train physicians across Europe, including in England
• Doctors were encouraged to carry out dissections themselves and carefully observe the human body rather than relying on old books
• Diagnosis


  The identification of a disease, illness or condition which is present in a patient. A diagnosis is made after looking for signs and symptoms in a patient.
• Physician


  A person who practices medicine
• Humanism


  A new way of thinking during the Renaissance that recognised the importance of the individual in discovering the truth around them. Humanist ideas represented a challenge to the old ideas and encouraged experimentation to find the truth.
• Four humours


  Four bodily fluids – yellow bile, black bile, blood and phlegm – used in ancient times to analyse and describe people's state of health.
• Thomas Sydenham


  • Respected doctor in London during the Renaissance
  • Encouraged physicians to move away from the classical ideas of Galen and Hippocrates towards the new scientific ideas of observation
  • Believed that to diagnose a patient's illness, a doctor needed to closely observe the symptoms and treat the disease that was causing them
  • Refused to rely solely on medical books
  • Believed that each disease was different and that doctors needed to identify the exact disease before recommending a cure
  • Identified that scarlet fever and measles were different diseases
  • Published his ideas about disease in a book called Observationes Medicae (Medical Observations) in 1676
• Sydenham's work led to a more scientific approach to medicine after the 18th century
• Despite the innovations and discoveries of people such as Andreas Vesalius and Thomas Sydenham, some ideas from the medieval period about the causes of disease and illness continued to be accepted
• This meant that there was a continuation in the methods generally used to care for and treat the sick
• Physicians


  A person who practices medicine
• Training of physicians


  1. Learning from the books of Galen and Hippocrates at university

  2. Challenging the ideas of Galen

  3. Taking a more scientific approach, encouraging observation and experimentation

  4. Dissecting bodies

  5. Learning using new technology, such as the microscope
• Rich people continued to pay for a doctor or nurse to look after them at home
• Most people continued to seek cheaper remedies from an apothecary
• Women continued to play an important role in the care of the sick
• After the Reformation, when Henry VIII closed the monasteries, the hospitals were taken over by local authorities
• Hospitals were now funded by charity and run by physicians
• Some hospitals were beginning to concentrate on treating the sick, aiming to deal with patients' symptoms and illnesses
• However, most hospitals continued to provide care in the form of food and warmth rather than medical cures
• Treatments used during the Renaissance

  • Bloodletting
  • Purging
  • Herbal remedies
  • Superstition and religious beliefs
• An increase in travel brought new ingredients to England, such as rhubarb and tobacco, that were used to treat the sick