medieval period 1200-1500

what did medieval people think caused disease

-the four humors

-astrology- they believed planet movement caused diseases and people believed that god controlled the planets.

-god- people thought god sent illnesses as a punishment of all sins. he tormented people to drive them away from commiting sins.

- miasma- king edwardIII sent a letter to the mayor ordering hum to have ‘filth lying in the streets removed’, god had it apart of his plan to allow bad air as a cleanse of peoples sins.

what were the four humors?

-yellow bile: hot and dry

-black bile: dry and cold

-blood: hot and wet

-phlegm: cold and wet

how did medieval people prevent diseases?

religious actions- prayed for gods forgivness, lit candles, punished them selfs in public.

cleaned their houses

herbal remedies

keeping the towns clean: people were punished for littering, butchers had get rid of waste outside of city walls.people built latrines so they were less likely to leak. cleaning up animal waste. fresh water was brought through pipes and wells.

went on pilgramage to holy places

how did medieval people treat disease?

purging- forceful throwing up

bloodletting- controlled bleeding to rebalance the four humors

theory of opposites.

praying to god.

hippocrites theories supported by galen:

theory of the four humours

theory of opppsites: if one humour was imbalanced you used the oppsite to balance it again

when was the black death?

1348-49

features of the black death:

-arrived from china via India and Europe

-it was a new plague which was unfamiliar to the ordinary people of England and its physicians

-at least 40% of the population die

-it was probably the ‘bubonic plague’: spread by infected fleas on rats. symptoms included swellings (buboes) in armp its and groin, blisters, fever, headache and the death.

-it was a pandemic, but we can also say it was an epidemic within england

symptoms of the plague

-painful swellings called buboes in the armpits and groan.

-the victim vomited and developed a fever

-bleeding under the skin caused dark blotches and all over the body

-the disease attacked the nervous system, caused the victims to suffer spasms, terrible pain.

- sometimes buboes bursts and a foul smelling black liquid oozed from the open boils. when this happened the victim usually lived, however in most causes the victim suffered a painful death.

church: role

role: the church was a holy place where people went to pray for forgiveness and it was a very powerful place.

church: continunity in medicine

-since everyone thought god sent illnesses they stopped bothering to look for any causes

-the priests brainwashed people that the bible was always right and you couldnt challenge the bible, which frightened people, they agreed so they wouldnt go to hell.

education: role

the church has a big role in education. education included how physicians were trained in university.

education: continuity in medicine

the church controlled university education so people who wanted to be physicians spent 7 years being controlled and taught by the church and their beliefs. they were told to believe that hippocrites and especially galen were correct in every detail.

attitudes (respect for tradition): role

they wanted to keep everything the same and had great respect for past traditions.

attitudes: continuity of medicine

the result of the influence of the church and the way doctors were educated was that most people had great respect for the past and for traditional ideas. they wanted to keep everything the same and only changed if necessary.

what work did the rich and poor do?

rich: they were encouraged to help the poor

poor: craftsman, labourers (physical) and farmers

what was the role of the king?

set taxes

look after the towns

keep the peace