Medieval medicine

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In the Middle Ages, physicians commonly diagnosed illness by examining their patient's urine. Typically, the process involved smelling it, tasting it and comparing the urine's colour to that in a urine chart. The diagnosis would then be given on the spot. In the modern period however, doctors understand that urine is no longer an accurate way of diagnosing illness. Instead, doctors monitor individual symptoms shown by the patient and perform clinical observations before coming to a conclusion. This change in the way doctors perform diagnosis shows a better understanding of science in the modern period.