BRITAIN: HEALTH AND THE PEOPLE
CHAPTER 1
Medieval Period = Ad500-1500
Hippocrates and Galen were the names of two well-known Greek doctors.
Treating the sick
If ordinary people were ill, they would turn to the local wise woman or a barber surgeon.
Barber surgeons based their knowledge off experience.
Wise women used a mixture of natural herbal remedies, first aid and supernatural cures.
Knowledge of wise women was passed down by word of mouth.
Some if it was written down, e.g. Leech Book of Bald as well as being based on trial & error
Medieval doctors
Upper class people would turn to university trained doctors, who would charge fees.
There were very few of them in Medieval England.
They had to study for at least 7 years at universities like Oxford and Cambridge.
Medieval doctors believed people were ill if their humours were out of balance.
They based this off the Ancient Greek theory of illness.
The doctors’ job was to restore this balance.
Natural approaches to remedies:
o Clinical observation: checking pulse + colour, taste, smell of urine
o Four body humours: blood, phlegm, black bile, yellow bile
Supernatural approaches to remedies:
o Position of stars = astrology
o Recommended charms and prayers
Treatments
Common treatment= bloodletting/purging
Other treatments= something to make you vomit/go to the toilet
Referred to Gilbert Eagle’s textbook = Compendium medicine
Ill people would also turn to the local monastery/parish priest.
People believed God sent illness as a punishment or a test of faith.
,CHAPTER 2
Did Christianity help or hinder medical progress and treatments?
Helped Hindered
Christian Church believed in following Jesus as Curing the illness would challenge God’s will
he healed the sick, as it was sent as a punishment from God
Started many hospitals, over 700 between Designed to look after the sick not treat =
1000 and 1500 palliative care.
Hospitals were funded by church or a wealthy Prayers were seen as more important than
patron drugs. Most had a priest rather than a doctor.
The Christian Church controlled the Ancient Greek and Roman ideas were taught
universities. in universities
Monks preserved and copied ancient medical English monk Roger Bacon was arrested as he
texts suggested that doctors should do original
research
Believed in miraculous healing and the sick
were encouraged to visit shrines and pray to
saints
Dissections were forbidden
The most popular thing to study was religion and the second most popular was medicine. The Christian
church approved of Galen’s books since was a monotheist
Due to the Church’s support, Galen’s ideas were the foundation of medicine for 14000 years
Influence of Islam on Medieval medicine
The Islamic Empire was a single state which was ruled by the Caliph.
Arabic was the language of Islam.
Caliphs provided the peace and order needed for medical progress
They supported Islamic medicine
Caliph Harun-Al-Rashid
Ruled 786-809
Capital city of Baghdad became a centre for the translation of Greek manuscripts into Arabic
Al Rashid
Ruled 805
Set up a major new hospital in Baghdad with a medical school and library
Caliph Al-Mamun
Ruled 813-833
Son of Al-Rashid
Developed his father’s library into ‘The house of wisdom’ = world’s largest library
He preserved hundreds of ancient Greek medical books
,Spread of Islamic medical knowledge
Islamic medical discoveries arrived in Italy in 1065
Constantine the African translated Arabian books into Latin
These books were bought by scholars in the eighteenth century
Padua & Bologna = best places to study medicine in Medieval Europe
Islamic medical ideas reached England through trade since merchants brought new equipment, drugs and
books
Important Islamic doctors
Rhazes = Al-Rhazi
C865-c925
Discovered the difference between measles and small pox
Wrote over 150 books
Followed Galen but was critical, one of his books was called ‘Doubts about Galen’
Avicenna = Iba Sina
980-1037
Wrote a great encyclopaedia of medicine called ‘Canon of Medicine’ = 1 million words long
Encyclopaedia listed the properties of 760 different drugs
Also, discussed medical problems like anorexia and obesity
This encyclopaedia was the standard European medical textbook used to teach doctors until
the seventeenth century
Iba al-Nafis
In the thirteenth century, he concluded that Galen was wrong about how the heart worked.
Galen thought that blood was produced in the liver, whereas Al-Nafis thought correctly that blood passed
through the heart via the lungs.
Islam banned human dissection and his books weren’t read in the west. Therefore, Europeans accepted
Galen’s mistake about the heart worked until the seventeenth century.
, Contributions Islam made to medical progress
Scientific approach
Islamic religion and the Qur’an encouraged medical learning and discoveries
Followed a scientific approach
Prophet Muhammad said: ‘for every disease, Allah has given a cure’
Discoveries
Muslim scientists were encouraged to discover cures
New drugs, such as senna and naptha, were discovered
Hospitals
Hospitals built = bimaristans = used to treat patients, not to simply care for them
Treated mental illnesses with compassion and sympathy
Isolation units for patients with contagious illnesses
Preservation of writings
Preserved medical texts from ancient world as valued Galenic and Hippocratic medicine
Individuals
Rhazes wrote over 150 books and distinguished difference between measles and small pox
Avicenna wrote ‘Canon of medicine’
This encyclopaedia became the standard medical text until the seventeenth century
Iba al-Nafis concluded that Galen was wrong about how the heart worked
Limitations of Medieval surgery
Medieval surgeons learnt by watching and copying other surgeons.
Most surgery took places on battlefields
Medieval surgery was risky because:
o Operated without effective painkillers
o Believed that pus was needed for a wound to heal
o Couldn't treat deep wounds
o Didn't realise that dirt carried disease
o Patients often lost a lot of blood
Surgical pioneers advanced the science of surgery in Western Europe and the Islamic Empire during the
Medieval period
Natural painkillers were dangerous as high doses could kill the patient
CHAPTER 1
Medieval Period = Ad500-1500
Hippocrates and Galen were the names of two well-known Greek doctors.
Treating the sick
If ordinary people were ill, they would turn to the local wise woman or a barber surgeon.
Barber surgeons based their knowledge off experience.
Wise women used a mixture of natural herbal remedies, first aid and supernatural cures.
Knowledge of wise women was passed down by word of mouth.
Some if it was written down, e.g. Leech Book of Bald as well as being based on trial & error
Medieval doctors
Upper class people would turn to university trained doctors, who would charge fees.
There were very few of them in Medieval England.
They had to study for at least 7 years at universities like Oxford and Cambridge.
Medieval doctors believed people were ill if their humours were out of balance.
They based this off the Ancient Greek theory of illness.
The doctors’ job was to restore this balance.
Natural approaches to remedies:
o Clinical observation: checking pulse + colour, taste, smell of urine
o Four body humours: blood, phlegm, black bile, yellow bile
Supernatural approaches to remedies:
o Position of stars = astrology
o Recommended charms and prayers
Treatments
Common treatment= bloodletting/purging
Other treatments= something to make you vomit/go to the toilet
Referred to Gilbert Eagle’s textbook = Compendium medicine
Ill people would also turn to the local monastery/parish priest.
People believed God sent illness as a punishment or a test of faith.
,CHAPTER 2
Did Christianity help or hinder medical progress and treatments?
Helped Hindered
Christian Church believed in following Jesus as Curing the illness would challenge God’s will
he healed the sick, as it was sent as a punishment from God
Started many hospitals, over 700 between Designed to look after the sick not treat =
1000 and 1500 palliative care.
Hospitals were funded by church or a wealthy Prayers were seen as more important than
patron drugs. Most had a priest rather than a doctor.
The Christian Church controlled the Ancient Greek and Roman ideas were taught
universities. in universities
Monks preserved and copied ancient medical English monk Roger Bacon was arrested as he
texts suggested that doctors should do original
research
Believed in miraculous healing and the sick
were encouraged to visit shrines and pray to
saints
Dissections were forbidden
The most popular thing to study was religion and the second most popular was medicine. The Christian
church approved of Galen’s books since was a monotheist
Due to the Church’s support, Galen’s ideas were the foundation of medicine for 14000 years
Influence of Islam on Medieval medicine
The Islamic Empire was a single state which was ruled by the Caliph.
Arabic was the language of Islam.
Caliphs provided the peace and order needed for medical progress
They supported Islamic medicine
Caliph Harun-Al-Rashid
Ruled 786-809
Capital city of Baghdad became a centre for the translation of Greek manuscripts into Arabic
Al Rashid
Ruled 805
Set up a major new hospital in Baghdad with a medical school and library
Caliph Al-Mamun
Ruled 813-833
Son of Al-Rashid
Developed his father’s library into ‘The house of wisdom’ = world’s largest library
He preserved hundreds of ancient Greek medical books
,Spread of Islamic medical knowledge
Islamic medical discoveries arrived in Italy in 1065
Constantine the African translated Arabian books into Latin
These books were bought by scholars in the eighteenth century
Padua & Bologna = best places to study medicine in Medieval Europe
Islamic medical ideas reached England through trade since merchants brought new equipment, drugs and
books
Important Islamic doctors
Rhazes = Al-Rhazi
C865-c925
Discovered the difference between measles and small pox
Wrote over 150 books
Followed Galen but was critical, one of his books was called ‘Doubts about Galen’
Avicenna = Iba Sina
980-1037
Wrote a great encyclopaedia of medicine called ‘Canon of Medicine’ = 1 million words long
Encyclopaedia listed the properties of 760 different drugs
Also, discussed medical problems like anorexia and obesity
This encyclopaedia was the standard European medical textbook used to teach doctors until
the seventeenth century
Iba al-Nafis
In the thirteenth century, he concluded that Galen was wrong about how the heart worked.
Galen thought that blood was produced in the liver, whereas Al-Nafis thought correctly that blood passed
through the heart via the lungs.
Islam banned human dissection and his books weren’t read in the west. Therefore, Europeans accepted
Galen’s mistake about the heart worked until the seventeenth century.
, Contributions Islam made to medical progress
Scientific approach
Islamic religion and the Qur’an encouraged medical learning and discoveries
Followed a scientific approach
Prophet Muhammad said: ‘for every disease, Allah has given a cure’
Discoveries
Muslim scientists were encouraged to discover cures
New drugs, such as senna and naptha, were discovered
Hospitals
Hospitals built = bimaristans = used to treat patients, not to simply care for them
Treated mental illnesses with compassion and sympathy
Isolation units for patients with contagious illnesses
Preservation of writings
Preserved medical texts from ancient world as valued Galenic and Hippocratic medicine
Individuals
Rhazes wrote over 150 books and distinguished difference between measles and small pox
Avicenna wrote ‘Canon of medicine’
This encyclopaedia became the standard medical text until the seventeenth century
Iba al-Nafis concluded that Galen was wrong about how the heart worked
Limitations of Medieval surgery
Medieval surgeons learnt by watching and copying other surgeons.
Most surgery took places on battlefields
Medieval surgery was risky because:
o Operated without effective painkillers
o Believed that pus was needed for a wound to heal
o Couldn't treat deep wounds
o Didn't realise that dirt carried disease
o Patients often lost a lot of blood
Surgical pioneers advanced the science of surgery in Western Europe and the Islamic Empire during the
Medieval period
Natural painkillers were dangerous as high doses could kill the patient
