chapter 1: medieval - middle ages

Question 1

what theory did hippocrates come up with?

Answer 1

theory of the four humours

Question 2

what was the theory of the four humours?

Answer 2

the theory that the body consisted of four humours (blood, black & yellow bile, phlegm) and that they had to be balances for good health

Question 3

how far did the theory of the four humours influence medicine?

Answer 3

• influenced medicine until the 1800s
• led to the treatment method of bleeding (opening a vein or applying leeches to draw blood to balance the humours)
• his books were also significant as they provided the first detailed accounts of symptoms and treatments

Question 4

what theory did galen come up with?

Answer 4

the theory of opposites

Question 5

what was the the theory of opposites?

Answer 5

the theory that illness could be treated by balancing the humours e.g. if u had a cold, you should eat hot/spicy foods

Question 6

what did galen do to learn about human anatomy and what mistake did he make?

Answer 6

• he dissected animals
• he said the jaw bone was two separate bones, however it is actually one

Question 7

why were galen’s mistakes accepted by the church?

Answer 7

galen also stated that the human body was perfect which supported the theory that god designed humans

Question 8

what were the believed causes of illnesses at that time?

Answer 8

• god’s punishment
• four humours
• astrology

Question 9

why were the true causes of illness unknown?

Answer 9

doctors lacked the scientific knowledge required to understand causes of disease

Question 10

what medical training did doctors receive at the time?

Answer 10

they were told to read church approved texts such as galen or just trust that it was god’s plan

Question 11

what supernatural treatments were used at the time?

Answer 11

• trusting god
• prayer
• astrology
• trepanning (hole in the skull to release demons)

Question 12

what natural treatments were used at the time?

Answer 12

• bloodletting
• purging
• herbal remedies

Question 13

what is an example of people trusting the four humours to “treat themselves”?

Answer 13

if someone had a nosebleed, it was believed they had too much blood and needed to get rid of some

Question 14

what did the church control in medicine?

Answer 14

how doctors trained and how people received or gave treatment

Question 15

in what ways did the church help medicine?

Answer 15

• opened medical schools where doctors trained
• one of the only sources of help for the sick

Question 16

in what ways did the church hinder medicine?

Answer 16

• limited the ability of doctors to challenge ideas of ancient doctors so no new developments could be made
• treatments were based on the belief of god
• dissection was banned so doctors couldn’t learn practically

Question 17

was islamic medicine more or less advanced than british medicine?

Answer 17

more advanced

Question 18

what did the islam faith encourage?

Answer 18

encouraged muslim doctors to develop new ideas and treatments

Question 19

what was the main thing al-razi did?

Answer 19

discovered the difference between smallpox and measles

Question 20

how many books did al-razi write and what were they used for?

Answer 20

over 200, they were used to teach in universities in europe

Question 21

what did al-razi emphasise the importance of?

Answer 21

observation & seeking natural causes

Question 22

what was the main thing ibn sina did?

Answer 22

discovered anorexia and obesity

Question 23

what was the book that ibn sina wrote called?

Answer 23

‘the canon of medicine’

Question 24

what was the canon of medicine about?

Answer 24

explored ideas of anatomy & human development and encouraged natural treatments

Question 25

what was ‘the canon of medicine’ used for?

Answer 25

to train new doctors

Question 26

what did abucasis do?

Answer 26

simple surgeries

Question 27

what is an example of a simple surgery in medieval times?

Answer 27

removal of warts, cysts or moles

Question 28

what was trepanning?

Answer 28

holes were drilled into a persons head to get rid of demons or evil spirits

Question 29

was trepanning effective?

Answer 29

no, most people died

Question 30

what was cauterisation?

Answer 30

when hot metal was pressed onto a wound to stop bleeding

Question 31

what were the risks of cauterisation?

Answer 31

severe burns, infection

Question 32

when was amputation used?

Answer 32

as a very last resort

Question 33

were anaesthetics effective in medieval times?

Answer 33

no, they were very poor

Question 34

what was often used as an anaesthetic?

Answer 34

herbal remedies/mixtures

Question 35

what method was often used instead of anaesthetics in surgeries?

Answer 35

the patient would be held down by the doctors

Question 36

what did barber surgeons do?

Answer 36

-cut hair
- removed teeth, warts, moles, cysts
- amputations
- bloodletting

Question 37

what were the conditions of towns in medieval times?

Answer 37

very poor

Question 38

why were the conditions of towns poor?

Answer 38

streets were covered in filth and dirt such as rotting meat from butchers, animal & human waste

Question 39

what did people throw out their windows onto the streets and what did it attract?

Answer 39

• waste from their toilets
• rats and other animals

Question 40

what did streets lack that didn’t help the condition of towns?

Answer 40

proper sewage systems & clean water

Question 41

what did the government do in an attempt to improve town conditions?

Answer 41

• introduced fines for dumping
• banned butchers from slaughtering animals in the street

Question 42

what new jobs were created in an attempt to improve town conditions?

Answer 42

gongfermers, muckrakers, surveyors of the pavement
all of these jobs did similar things: cleaned the streets, dug sewage etc.

Question 43

why were monks more informed about public health?

Answer 43

they could read

Question 44

what did monks design as a priority in monasteries ?

Answer 44

fresh water supplies however their efforts were limited as the link between germs and illness was unknown

Question 45

what were some key features of monasteries?

Answer 45

• bathing was compulsory
• kitchens were separate to toilets
• used settling tanks to purify water

Question 46

when was the black death?

Answer 46

1348-49

Question 47

what was the black death?

Answer 47

a bubonic plague pandemic

Question 48

what were symptoms of a bubonic plague?

Answer 48

buboes in the armpit, neck and groin

Question 49

how was a bubonic plague spread?

Answer 49

by rats (fleas on their fur jumped onto humans)

Question 50

what did people believe caused the black death?

Answer 50

• miasma (the theory that bad air spread disease)
• imbalance in the four humours
• witchcraft
• punishment from god

Question 51

what did people believe would cure them or protect them from the black death?

Answer 51

• flagellants (whipping themselves)
• praying for themselves or others
• bloodletting
• they carried herbs or flower petals to prevent miasma
• herbal remedies

Question 52

what were the consequences of the black death?

Answer 52

• half the population of europe died
• no greater understanding was gained from this so when the plague broke out again, similar ideas were used to prevent illness