Medieval Medicine

Medieval Medicine

1. Background

   • Most people worked in agriculture
   • Monks and Nuns provided education
     • Universities were controlled by the church
   • Generally travelled around by horse/ horse and cart, on foot or boats
   • Everyone has to respect the bible teachings and ancient texts/thinkers
   • Believed the four humours caused illness when they were unbalanced
     • Blood, Black Bile, Yellow Bile and Phlegm
     • Galen and Hippocrates believed this
   • A majority of the population were illiterate
     • Monks, Nuns, Priests and the wealthy could read
   • Catholic Church controlled everything

2. The Black Death

   • Four humours were unbalanced
     • Bleeding and purging patients
       • Balanced diets
       • Keeping clean
   • Astrology-movement of planets (Saturn and Mars)
     • None Known
       • None known
   • Miasma (bad air)
     • Carrying sweet smelling herbs
       • Rakers cleaning streets
       • Butchers fined for letting blood contaminate the streets
       • Lighting fires
       • Use of herbs
   • Punishment from God
     • Pray to God
       • Repent for sins
       • Ordered daily services to seek forgiveness
   • 1348-9
     • 40% of the population died
   • Came from India , China and Europe

3. Treatments and Preventions

   • Bleeding: restore balance by using leeches, bleeding cup or incision
   • Surgery: to remove body parts or metal
   • Purging: restore balance by removing excess liquid/food from the stomach using herbs and animal fat to vomit or laxatives to clear bowels
   • Disease diagnosed using zodiac chart, urine samples and the bleeding chart

4. Healers and Healing

   • Women acted as family carers and midwives who treated illnesses with remedies
     • Could train to be surgeons
   • Physicians trained at university for 7 years
     • Read books by Galen, Hippocrates, Ibn Sinna and Rhazies
     • Only rich could afford their fees
   • Apothecaries mixed herbs and ointments to create remedies which were sold through the Balds Leechbook
     • Affordable for both rich and poor
     • Honey and plantain often used
     • Some cures consisted of prayers, folklore and herbs
   • Barber Surgeons
     • Bled people
     • Made amputations
     • Tried to fix broken bones
   • Hospitals run by monks and nuns
     • Didn’t accept infectious people
     • Provided food, warmth and prayer
     • Some owned by wealthy (took care of elderly)
     • Some cared for the infectious, pregnant women and the ‘poor and silly’