1500-1700

• What significant change occurred in medicine during the Renaissance period?


  New knowledge and inventions improved medicine.
• How did the Renaissance period influence the approach to medicine?

  Science started to supersede spirituality.
• What was the Renaissance known as in terms of discovery?

  The Age of Discovery.
• What was the state of medical research before the Renaissance period?

  There was little research into what medical practices and cures actually worked.
• What shift occurred in medicine from the 1450s onwards?

  There was a shift towards a more scientific approach known as Renaissance medicine.
• What aided the development of Renaissance medicine?


  Discoveries made by various Renaissance artists in anatomy.
• What did physicians abandon during the Renaissance period?

  Physicians abandoned alchemy and superstition.
• What were the reasons for the Renaissance in medicine?


  • Renaissance means rebirth.
  • Interest in Greek and Roman ideas persisted.
  • After the Black Death, survivors had more wealth and time for education.
  • Educated individuals sought to challenge traditional ideas.
• How did the attitude towards Greek and Roman knowledge change during the Renaissance?

  People began to challenge existing ideas rather than simply copying them.
• What did scholars in the 1500s begin to question about Galen's translations?

  They were concerned about the quality of the translations made in the Middle Ages.
• How many editions of Galen's books were published during the Renaissance?

  Nearly 600 editions.
• What was the significance of inquiry during the Renaissance?

  It led to a willingness to challenge existing ideas and recognize Galen's mistakes.
• How did attitudes towards traditional ideas differ between the Middle Ages and the Renaissance?

  In the Middle Ages, people respected traditional ideas, while in the Renaissance, they began to challenge them.
• What cultural and legal restrictions were eased during the Renaissance that contributed to medical advancements?

  Restrictions on dissecting cadavers were eased.
• What harmful medical procedure was abandoned due to increased anatomical knowledge?

  Bloodletting.
• Why did the Church previously ban dissection?

  The Church believed it took away the deceased's dignity.
• What was one way medical knowledge from the Middle East influenced Renaissance medicine?

  Islamic scholars made advancements in disease and injury treatment.
• How did the Crusaders contribute to the transmission of medical knowledge?

  They brought back advanced medical techniques from Islamic doctors.
• Who were some key figures in Renaissance medicine and their contributions?

  • Girolamo Fracastoro: Suggested diseases are caused by pathogens.
  • Andreas Vesalius: Authored "De Humani Corporis Fabrica" and detailed human anatomy.
  • William Harvey: Described the circulatory system and blood circulation.
  • Paracelsus: Demonstrated safe use of chemicals and minerals in medicine.
  • Leonardo Da Vinci: Studied human anatomy and biomechanics.
  • Ambroise Pare’: Father of modern forensic pathology and surgery.
• What common diseases were prevalent during the Renaissance period?

  Leprosy, smallpox, and the Black Death.
• How did the arrival of European explorers impact diseases in the Americas?

  Diseases like measles and smallpox were deadly to American Natives who had no immunity.
• What was the role of university-trained physicians during the Renaissance?

  They accepted Hippocrates’ theory of illness caused by an imbalance in the body’s humours.
• Who wrote the first English handbook for midwives?

  Mrs. Jane Sharp in 1671.
• What invention in the early 17th century affected women's roles in childbirth?

  The obstetrical forceps invented by Peter Chamberlen.
• How did the perception of women healers change during the Renaissance?

  Wealthy patients preferred fashionable physicians over women healers.
• What were some common treatments during the Renaissance period?

  • Home remedies passed down through generations.
  • Use of ingredients like honey for its antibacterial properties.
  • New ingredients from travels, such as rhubarb and cinchona bark (quinine).
• What was the significance of quinine in Renaissance medicine?

  It helped many who suffered from malaria.
• How did literacy impact the sharing of home remedies during the Renaissance?

  More people were writing down home remedies because more people could read and write.
• Who was Andreas Vesalius?

  Andreas Vesalius was a physician born in 1514 in Brussels, Belgium.
• Where did Andreas Vesalius work?

  He worked at the University of Padua, Italy.
• What field did Vesalius specialize in?

  He specialized in anatomy.
• How did Vesalius contribute to future advances in medicine?

  His work made it possible for further discoveries and future advances in medicine to take place.
• What method did Vesalius use to study human bodies?

  He used dissection to study human bodies closely.
• What was the title of Vesalius' famous book?

  The title of his book is "On the Fabric of the Human Body."
• When was "On the Fabric of the Human Body" published?

  It was published in 1543.
• What did Vesalius' book provide for doctors?

  It provided an extremely detailed and accurate guide on how the human body worked.
• What type of illustrations did Vesalius include in his book?

  His book contained detailed and accurate drawings of the human body.
• What mistakes of Galen did Vesalius prove?

  He proved that the human jaw bone was made of one bone, not two, and that blood did not pass through the septum.
• Why was Vesalius significant in the short term?

  He proved that Galen had made mistakes, encouraging other doctors to question Galen's ideas.
• What was the long-term significance of Vesalius' work?

  His work provided accurate anatomical knowledge that allowed for future advances in medicine.