Studied by 1 personWhat was the Renaissance?
A period of new ideas about science, religion, art and architecture from the 16th century to the 18th century
What human dissection allow Jan Baptist van Helmont to understand?
The digestive system
What was alchemy?
An early form of chemistry focusing on converting metal into gold
What were animalcules?
Bacteria
What was the public’s attitude towards the Theory of the Four Humours by the 17th century?
Decreased in influence but patients preferred humoral treatments
What medical theory stayed the same during the Renaissance period?
Miasma
Why did the development of humanism help individuals?
Allowed people to distance themselves from religious explanations
Why was Thomas Sydenham important?
Theorised that: symptoms of disease didn’t change for patient, every patient should receive the same treatment, observation of patients is critical
What did Thomas Sydenham discover about scarlet fever and measles?
They were two separate diseases
When did Johannes Gutenberg invent the printing press?
c.1440
What was the Royal Society? Who was it founded by? When?
An organisation that allowed scientists from across Europe to share discoveries and discuss new ideas. Founded by Charles II in 1662
What was transference?
The idea that touching an object/animal could move disease from the person to the object/animal
When did Vesalius write The Fabric of the Human Body?
1543
How was transference practised?
Rubbing onions onto warts, strapping chicken to buboes
What was iatrochemistry?
A development of alchemy which sought to find chemical solutions to illnesses
Why did the service at apothecaries improve during the Renaissance?
Had to have a license to practise their craft
How did the education of physicians change in the Renaissance?
Wider selection of medical textbooks, allowed to practise human dissection
How many of Galen’s mistakes did Vesalius correct?
Over 300
How did hospitals change in the Renaissance period?
Attempted to cure patients
What were pest houses?
Hospitals that admitted patients with infectious diseases
Why did bathing become less popular in the 16th century?
Public baths were brothels, disease spread quickly
How did people in the Renaissance period try to improve health and cleanliness?
Change clothes often, move away from areas with disease
How did the Government try and remove miasma?
Minor criminals to pick up rubbish, give fines to unclean houses, drain swamps/bogs
Why were barometers and thermometers used to prevent disease spreading?
Epidemics spread easier in the summer months
When did the Great Plague arrive in England?
1665
What were 3 beliefs about how the Plague was caused?
By a comet in the sky, punishment from God, miasma
Why did physicians recommend wrapping patients in woollen cloths and laying them by the fire?
To ‘sweat’ out the Plague
How were herbal remedies used during the Great Plague to treat the disease?
Medicines were drunk/swallowed, poultices were place on wound, rubs were placed on skin
What was a quack doctor?
A fake doctor with no medical qualifications, some were businessmen wanting to make money
What were 4 ways of preventing the Plague?
Prayer, quarantine, carrying a pomander, fasting
What were some of the characteristics of a Plague doctors outfit?
Beak stuffed with herbs to prevent miasma, gloves to prevent contact
What was the role of a searcher during the Plague?
Find plague victims and remove bodies for burial
What’s a decree?
An official order made by a monarch or the government, it’s illegal not to follow a decree
What did King Charles II ban during the Great Plague?
Theatre, public meetings, fairs, and large funerals
What did King Charles II order the killing of during the Great Plague?
Cats, dogs and pigeons
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