Medieval Medical Ideas

What did medieval people think made them ill?

God

This is mainly because religion played such a big part in the lives of people. Christian Anglo-Saxons blamed illness and disease on God, and the reason it happened was due to their sinful lifestyles. Illness was a form of punishment from God. An epidemic or plague was a reminder to people to live by true faith and direction of the church.

Daily Life

Many thought illness and early death were unavoidable. Many children died before the age of seven, so this seemed natural. Moreover, it was a dangerous time for women to undergo childbirth, where any complications would lead to certain death. While warfare and famine were all to common also.

Bad smells

Some people noticed there was a link between bad smells (air) and disease. The mortality rate was higher in towns and cities than it was in the countryside. Here, people lived closer together and alongside unclean animals. Therefore, many thought it was bad smells that spread disease and infected people.

The Four Humours

This was the most widespread belief - people became ill because their four humours were unbalanced. All doctors agreed with Hippocrates and Galen that illness was a result of them losing equilibrium. Each doctor would have a chart to understand what illness was caused by which humour.

Supernatural

Magic and mystery were used by people to explain random events. Viking sagas suggested disease was caused by magic. Witchcraft was prevalent and people believed the world was full of demons attempting to cause death. Sudden diseases and illnesses found simple explanation in blaming the supernatural.