Health and the People: The Beginnings of Change
The Renaissance (c1400-c1700)
The Renaissance
The Renaissance started in Northern Europe and was primarily triggered from a love for “classical” things e.g.
buildings, statues, paintings and texts. There were many challenges against accepted religious ideas;
Protestantism against Catholicism. People challenged ideas and beliefs made in science, technology and views
on the world, known as the “scientific method”.
The Church’s power dramatically declined, especially after new inventions. There were some significant
individuals who challenged authority in anatomy, physiology and surgery. Vesalius, Paré and Harvey made new
discoveries with a big impact but not everybody welcomed their ideas and there was a lot of opposition to
change.
The Renaissance was a time of new ideas and interest. New scientific ideas started to have an impact
on medicine and public health.
In 1440 the printing press was invented meaning that new ideas could spread much more rapidly,
more accurately and at much cheaper especially with new universities being established around
Europe.
New thinkers, led by Paracelsus (1493-1541), began to challenge the works of Hippocrates and Galen.
In 1590 the microscope was invented which revolutionised the works of scientists and physicians.
In the 1600s people started doing experiments to prove that the old ideas were wrong.
The invention of gunpowder also introduced new types of wounds.
Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564)
Studied medicine in Padua where he later became Professor of Anatomy and Surgery
He was convinced that anatomy was the best way to understand the human body
Unlike people before him he did his own dissections
In his book, On the Fabric of the Human Body (1543), he corrected over 300 of Galen’s mistakes and
argued the importance of doctors learning from dissections rather than books.
Criticisms
He was criticised for saying Galen was wrong and had to leave his job in Padua. He later became a doctor for
the Emperor Charles V.
Contribution to medical progress
In 1545 Thomas Geminus copied Vesalius’ illustrations and put them in a manual for barber-surgeons.
Compendiosa was very popular in England and three editions were published between 1545 and 1559.
Although his work did not lead to an medical cures it was the basis for better treatments in the future.
Ambroise Paré (1510-1590)
Barber surgeon who learned much of what he knew from being an army surgeon
Invented a new way of sealing wounds on the battlefield that were less painful and more effective
- Ran out of cauterising oil so he used an ointment instead
- He challenged accepted practise based on observation and experimentation
Used ligatures to tie blood vessels for the first time
- They were less painful
- Slower method and could introduce infection
He developed artificial limbs
He published a book about his ideas in 1545
, Contribution to medical progress
He translated the works of Vesalius and used them in his famous Works on Surgery (1575), which was widely
read by English surgeons. Elizabeth I’s surgeon William Clowes made Paré’s work well-known; he described him
as the ‘famous surgeon master’. He copied Paré’s burn treatment using onions in 1596.
William Harvey (1578-1657)
Studied medicine in Padua and returned to England in 1602 as a physician
He was interested in physiology, particularly blood
He used experiments and dissection to prove that blood circulates around the body using arteries and
veins with valves
He showed that the heart acted as a pump for the system
His understanding of the circulatory system is the basis of what we know today but it took many years
for his ideas to be accepted
This challenged Galen’s ideas who said new blood was constantly made in the liver and burned as a
fuel in the body
Limitations to his studies
Harvey didn’t know why the blood circulated, why there was different coloured blood in the arteries and veins
and how the blood got from the arteries to the veins. He waited to publish De Motu Cordis (1628) because he
knew there would be criticism of his going against Galen and his challenging of the idea of bloodletting to
balance the four humours.
Reactions to Harvey’s discover
Harvey’s critics said he was mad or ignored his ideas. Some doctors rejected it because he contradicted Galen
or didn’t believe his calculations. Part of his criticism was based on what he didn’t know. Despite the criticism,
it was accepted by many doctors. In 1661, four years after Harvey’s death, a good enough microscope showed
capillaries connected veins and arteries.
The significance of his discovery
Not immediately useful. Today understanding blood and circulation is significant because it allows quick testing
and diagnosis of illnesses and ability to execute advanced surgery like organ transplants.
Opposition to change
Some people embraced more scientific methods but others were unconvinced. Many opposed experimenting to
prove theories and many people believed Galen’s works – reluctant to accept he was wrong. English textbooks
for doctors continued to publish his ideas until 1650s.
Dealing with Disease
Traditional and new methods of treatment
Methods of treatment
Traditional approaches New approaches
Religious e.g. praying for forgiveness, Growing number of hospitals started to
pilgrimage and giving money to Church treat the sick rather than providing
Wise women who used herbs and charms hospitality
Herbal remedies Many towns had pharmacies
Astrology New herbs and ingredients from world
Quackery Books on medicine for treating at home
King’s Evil and the Royal Touch Scientific approaches
The Renaissance (c1400-c1700)
The Renaissance
The Renaissance started in Northern Europe and was primarily triggered from a love for “classical” things e.g.
buildings, statues, paintings and texts. There were many challenges against accepted religious ideas;
Protestantism against Catholicism. People challenged ideas and beliefs made in science, technology and views
on the world, known as the “scientific method”.
The Church’s power dramatically declined, especially after new inventions. There were some significant
individuals who challenged authority in anatomy, physiology and surgery. Vesalius, Paré and Harvey made new
discoveries with a big impact but not everybody welcomed their ideas and there was a lot of opposition to
change.
The Renaissance was a time of new ideas and interest. New scientific ideas started to have an impact
on medicine and public health.
In 1440 the printing press was invented meaning that new ideas could spread much more rapidly,
more accurately and at much cheaper especially with new universities being established around
Europe.
New thinkers, led by Paracelsus (1493-1541), began to challenge the works of Hippocrates and Galen.
In 1590 the microscope was invented which revolutionised the works of scientists and physicians.
In the 1600s people started doing experiments to prove that the old ideas were wrong.
The invention of gunpowder also introduced new types of wounds.
Andreas Vesalius (1514-1564)
Studied medicine in Padua where he later became Professor of Anatomy and Surgery
He was convinced that anatomy was the best way to understand the human body
Unlike people before him he did his own dissections
In his book, On the Fabric of the Human Body (1543), he corrected over 300 of Galen’s mistakes and
argued the importance of doctors learning from dissections rather than books.
Criticisms
He was criticised for saying Galen was wrong and had to leave his job in Padua. He later became a doctor for
the Emperor Charles V.
Contribution to medical progress
In 1545 Thomas Geminus copied Vesalius’ illustrations and put them in a manual for barber-surgeons.
Compendiosa was very popular in England and three editions were published between 1545 and 1559.
Although his work did not lead to an medical cures it was the basis for better treatments in the future.
Ambroise Paré (1510-1590)
Barber surgeon who learned much of what he knew from being an army surgeon
Invented a new way of sealing wounds on the battlefield that were less painful and more effective
- Ran out of cauterising oil so he used an ointment instead
- He challenged accepted practise based on observation and experimentation
Used ligatures to tie blood vessels for the first time
- They were less painful
- Slower method and could introduce infection
He developed artificial limbs
He published a book about his ideas in 1545
, Contribution to medical progress
He translated the works of Vesalius and used them in his famous Works on Surgery (1575), which was widely
read by English surgeons. Elizabeth I’s surgeon William Clowes made Paré’s work well-known; he described him
as the ‘famous surgeon master’. He copied Paré’s burn treatment using onions in 1596.
William Harvey (1578-1657)
Studied medicine in Padua and returned to England in 1602 as a physician
He was interested in physiology, particularly blood
He used experiments and dissection to prove that blood circulates around the body using arteries and
veins with valves
He showed that the heart acted as a pump for the system
His understanding of the circulatory system is the basis of what we know today but it took many years
for his ideas to be accepted
This challenged Galen’s ideas who said new blood was constantly made in the liver and burned as a
fuel in the body
Limitations to his studies
Harvey didn’t know why the blood circulated, why there was different coloured blood in the arteries and veins
and how the blood got from the arteries to the veins. He waited to publish De Motu Cordis (1628) because he
knew there would be criticism of his going against Galen and his challenging of the idea of bloodletting to
balance the four humours.
Reactions to Harvey’s discover
Harvey’s critics said he was mad or ignored his ideas. Some doctors rejected it because he contradicted Galen
or didn’t believe his calculations. Part of his criticism was based on what he didn’t know. Despite the criticism,
it was accepted by many doctors. In 1661, four years after Harvey’s death, a good enough microscope showed
capillaries connected veins and arteries.
The significance of his discovery
Not immediately useful. Today understanding blood and circulation is significant because it allows quick testing
and diagnosis of illnesses and ability to execute advanced surgery like organ transplants.
Opposition to change
Some people embraced more scientific methods but others were unconvinced. Many opposed experimenting to
prove theories and many people believed Galen’s works – reluctant to accept he was wrong. English textbooks
for doctors continued to publish his ideas until 1650s.
Dealing with Disease
Traditional and new methods of treatment
Methods of treatment
Traditional approaches New approaches
Religious e.g. praying for forgiveness, Growing number of hospitals started to
pilgrimage and giving money to Church treat the sick rather than providing
Wise women who used herbs and charms hospitality
Herbal remedies Many towns had pharmacies
Astrology New herbs and ingredients from world
Quackery Books on medicine for treating at home
King’s Evil and the Royal Touch Scientific approaches
