MEDICINE IN BRITAIN REVISION
c.1250 - 1500: Medicine in Medieval England
CAUSES
- CATHOLIC RELIGION (RELIGION)
The Church had great influence over people’s lifestyles. People were very religious and followed
the teachings of the Catholic Church. It was believed that God controlled everything that
happened in the world, including disease and illness.
Christians believed that illness and disease were sent by God as a punishment for sin.
- Also believed that illness could be a test of a person’s faith - by God or by
the Devil
- ASTROLOGY (SUPERNATURAL)
The study of the planets and stars - a physician would use a star chart.
Looks at the patient’s birth date and when they became ill = decide what illness
The use of astrology became too popular after the BLACK DEATH
- WITCHES AND SPIRITS (SUPERNATURAL)
Some people believed that witches and spirits could live inside a person and cause disease
Some people did “exorcisms” to remove any ‘bad’ spirits
Witches were thought to spread disease around town
- THEORY OF FOUR HUMOURS (RATIONAL)
Developed by: HIPPOCRATES [ancient Greek physician 5th century BC]
The theory stated that the body was made up of four humours:
- Blood
- Phlegm
- Yellow bile
- Black bile
It was believed that the four humours had to remain balanced for good health, unbalanced = ill
THEORY OF OPPOSITES - GALEN developed theory of four humours
[treatment for the theory of four humours] = e.g. if a patient had too much
blood and was hot and dry, they could be treated with cucumber [cold/wet]
GALEN = believed in the soul and his ideas fitted the teachings of a Catholic Church, which had great
influence and control over medical teachings, so GALEN, remained central to to medicine in
the mediaeval period. e.g. all the books used for learning were produced in the monasteries
and would, therefore only contain the traditional ideas
- MIASMA (RATIONAL)
[poisoned air caused disease] - some people believed that God poisoned the air, to punish them =
filled with fumes from dirty roads, no sewers/running water.
A clean and sweet-smelling home was a sign of spiritual cleanliness - incense was burnt to purify
the air, homes that smelt badly suggested corruption = often avoided in case they breathed in
their air - associated with the devil
TREATMENT
- CATHOLIC RELIGION (RELIGION)
To reverse their sinmaking, people would partake in religious activities, such as: pray, go on a
pilgrimage and fasting, to show their respect.
- ASTROLOGY (SUPERNATURAL)
Physicians would consult star charts, to advise patients when to take their treatments
- WITCHES AND SPIRITS (SUPERNATURAL)
Some treatments were specific to for certain illnesses, e.g. hanging a magpie’s beak around your
neck to cure toothache.
- THEORY OF FOUR HUMOURS (RATIONAL)
- BLOODLETTING: leeches, cupping, bloodletting = physical extractions
- PURGING: mixing herbal remedies to make you vomit = natural extractions
e.g. aloe vera, mint + chamomile, theriaca
, PREVENTION
- CATHOLIC RELIGION (RELIGION)
- Living a Christian life e.g. praying, going to church, obey Commandments
- Chanting incantations
- Carrying lucky charms / amulets
- Self-punishment = flagellation [punishing yourself, before God can]
- RATIONAL [THEORY OF FOUR HUMOURS & MIASMA]
- Bathing / washing
- Exercising
- Not overeating [diet]
- Bleeding / purging
- Purifying the air = carrying a posy / pomander
- Trying to keep streets clean
CARE - Who treated the sick?
● PHYSICIANS
Medically trained [7 years], diagnosed illnesses + gave treatment / sent to apothecary or barber
surgeon - expensive, used by wealthy = very rare [esp. women physicians]
- Observed patient’s symptoms, checked their pule, skin colour, urine [colour and taste]
- Consulted urine charts
- Consulated star chars = diagnose illness and work out time to take medication
● APOTHECARIES
Received training, but no medical qualifications - cheaper than a physician
- Mixed medicines and ointments based on own knowledge/directions of physician
● BARBER-SURGEONS
No training - cheaper than a physician
- Carried out bloodletting, pulling teeth, lancing boils + cutting hair
- Basic external surgery [e.g. amputating limbs] = low success rate
● AT HOME
Female family members - “wise women”, often the Lady of the Manor, tended people for free
● HOSPITALS
Many were run by the Church [emphasis on God and healing souls] where travellers and pilgrims
stayed on their journeys - place of recuperation rather than treat disease = given fresh food,
plenty of rest and kept very clean
- Some hospitals were built specifically for infectious diseases
CASE STUDY: THE BLACK DEATH [1348 - 9]
A bubonic plague, carried by fleas living on the back of rats, bringing disease to different countries via
trading ships. - passed onto humans when an infected flea bites them and the disease enters the blood.
Affected both the rich and poor, mainly affected the towns and ports = 40% were killed
SYMPTOMS: swelling of the lymph glands into large lumps [buboes], fever & chills, headache,
vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain.
CAUSES PREVENTION
- God sent the plague as a punishment for sins - Praying and fasting: showing God they were sorry
- Astrology: position of planets were unusual = self punishment
- Miasma caused by decaying rubbish - Clearing the rubbish from the streets
- Volcanoes - poisonous gases were in the air - Carrying herbs and spices to avoid breathing bad air in
- Four Humours were imbalanced - Smelling other bad air, to overcome the plague
- OUTSIDERS caused the disease - Stopped new people ENTERING town
TREATMENTS:
- Praying and carrying lucky charms
- Cutting buboes open to drain the pus
- Holding bread against the buboes and burying it in the ground
- Eating cold things / taking cold baths
c.1250 - 1500: Medicine in Medieval England
CAUSES
- CATHOLIC RELIGION (RELIGION)
The Church had great influence over people’s lifestyles. People were very religious and followed
the teachings of the Catholic Church. It was believed that God controlled everything that
happened in the world, including disease and illness.
Christians believed that illness and disease were sent by God as a punishment for sin.
- Also believed that illness could be a test of a person’s faith - by God or by
the Devil
- ASTROLOGY (SUPERNATURAL)
The study of the planets and stars - a physician would use a star chart.
Looks at the patient’s birth date and when they became ill = decide what illness
The use of astrology became too popular after the BLACK DEATH
- WITCHES AND SPIRITS (SUPERNATURAL)
Some people believed that witches and spirits could live inside a person and cause disease
Some people did “exorcisms” to remove any ‘bad’ spirits
Witches were thought to spread disease around town
- THEORY OF FOUR HUMOURS (RATIONAL)
Developed by: HIPPOCRATES [ancient Greek physician 5th century BC]
The theory stated that the body was made up of four humours:
- Blood
- Phlegm
- Yellow bile
- Black bile
It was believed that the four humours had to remain balanced for good health, unbalanced = ill
THEORY OF OPPOSITES - GALEN developed theory of four humours
[treatment for the theory of four humours] = e.g. if a patient had too much
blood and was hot and dry, they could be treated with cucumber [cold/wet]
GALEN = believed in the soul and his ideas fitted the teachings of a Catholic Church, which had great
influence and control over medical teachings, so GALEN, remained central to to medicine in
the mediaeval period. e.g. all the books used for learning were produced in the monasteries
and would, therefore only contain the traditional ideas
- MIASMA (RATIONAL)
[poisoned air caused disease] - some people believed that God poisoned the air, to punish them =
filled with fumes from dirty roads, no sewers/running water.
A clean and sweet-smelling home was a sign of spiritual cleanliness - incense was burnt to purify
the air, homes that smelt badly suggested corruption = often avoided in case they breathed in
their air - associated with the devil
TREATMENT
- CATHOLIC RELIGION (RELIGION)
To reverse their sinmaking, people would partake in religious activities, such as: pray, go on a
pilgrimage and fasting, to show their respect.
- ASTROLOGY (SUPERNATURAL)
Physicians would consult star charts, to advise patients when to take their treatments
- WITCHES AND SPIRITS (SUPERNATURAL)
Some treatments were specific to for certain illnesses, e.g. hanging a magpie’s beak around your
neck to cure toothache.
- THEORY OF FOUR HUMOURS (RATIONAL)
- BLOODLETTING: leeches, cupping, bloodletting = physical extractions
- PURGING: mixing herbal remedies to make you vomit = natural extractions
e.g. aloe vera, mint + chamomile, theriaca
, PREVENTION
- CATHOLIC RELIGION (RELIGION)
- Living a Christian life e.g. praying, going to church, obey Commandments
- Chanting incantations
- Carrying lucky charms / amulets
- Self-punishment = flagellation [punishing yourself, before God can]
- RATIONAL [THEORY OF FOUR HUMOURS & MIASMA]
- Bathing / washing
- Exercising
- Not overeating [diet]
- Bleeding / purging
- Purifying the air = carrying a posy / pomander
- Trying to keep streets clean
CARE - Who treated the sick?
● PHYSICIANS
Medically trained [7 years], diagnosed illnesses + gave treatment / sent to apothecary or barber
surgeon - expensive, used by wealthy = very rare [esp. women physicians]
- Observed patient’s symptoms, checked their pule, skin colour, urine [colour and taste]
- Consulted urine charts
- Consulated star chars = diagnose illness and work out time to take medication
● APOTHECARIES
Received training, but no medical qualifications - cheaper than a physician
- Mixed medicines and ointments based on own knowledge/directions of physician
● BARBER-SURGEONS
No training - cheaper than a physician
- Carried out bloodletting, pulling teeth, lancing boils + cutting hair
- Basic external surgery [e.g. amputating limbs] = low success rate
● AT HOME
Female family members - “wise women”, often the Lady of the Manor, tended people for free
● HOSPITALS
Many were run by the Church [emphasis on God and healing souls] where travellers and pilgrims
stayed on their journeys - place of recuperation rather than treat disease = given fresh food,
plenty of rest and kept very clean
- Some hospitals were built specifically for infectious diseases
CASE STUDY: THE BLACK DEATH [1348 - 9]
A bubonic plague, carried by fleas living on the back of rats, bringing disease to different countries via
trading ships. - passed onto humans when an infected flea bites them and the disease enters the blood.
Affected both the rich and poor, mainly affected the towns and ports = 40% were killed
SYMPTOMS: swelling of the lymph glands into large lumps [buboes], fever & chills, headache,
vomiting, diarrhoea and abdominal pain.
CAUSES PREVENTION
- God sent the plague as a punishment for sins - Praying and fasting: showing God they were sorry
- Astrology: position of planets were unusual = self punishment
- Miasma caused by decaying rubbish - Clearing the rubbish from the streets
- Volcanoes - poisonous gases were in the air - Carrying herbs and spices to avoid breathing bad air in
- Four Humours were imbalanced - Smelling other bad air, to overcome the plague
- OUTSIDERS caused the disease - Stopped new people ENTERING town
TREATMENTS:
- Praying and carrying lucky charms
- Cutting buboes open to drain the pus
- Holding bread against the buboes and burying it in the ground
- Eating cold things / taking cold baths
