the middle ages Flashcards
what time period?
400AD-1400AD
how was most illness treated?
- by women with herbs and remedies as well as spells and prayers
- rich people could pay a doctor to come and treat them- used bleeding and other treatments based on the 4 humours
- herbal remedies-plantain=antibiotic used to treat boils in the ears,cuts and dog bites
- treatment for a stye= onions and garlic (anitbiotics) + wine bull’s gall (attacks bacteria), leave in brass vessel->strain and apply with a feather
what were the phases of the middle ages?
phase 1- the dark ages- nothing was recorded
phase 2- the growing influence of the christian church
phase 3- things start to change in late middle ages
why was the church so important?
1- centre of social life-meet neighbours
2- ran hospitals and schools
3- entertainment
4- sports
5- belief in God-central part of most peoples lives
6- employed- the most people as farm workers, servants and builders
7- comfort-promises of heaven
8- offered warmth and light-which their cold and drafty houses couldn’t do
why were monasteries important? 3 reasons
1- became medical centres-encouraged the care of the sick. most had an infirmary for sick monks. they had a separate hospital for the public. At least one monk specialised in caring for the sick monks. Kept a herb garden so expert knowledge of different herbs for cures
2- preserved Greek and roman writings- copied and studied the medical writings after the collapse of the Roman empire: only centres of learning. they kept Greek and roman ideas alive
kept books
3- public health- monasteries were healthy and had money to make sure they stayed healthy. They build water pipes, drains and wash basins
what were the 3 public health hospitals?
1- leper houses-kept lepers separated from everyone
-built on main roads on outskirts of towns
-provided lodging and food but not treatment
2- almshouses for weak people who couldn’t look after themselves
-long term care
-gave shelter to travelers, pilgrims
-no medical treatment
3- hospitals for poor and sick people but no seriously ill
-built and paid by the church
-regular meals, rest, clean linen, baths
what factors explain change and continuity in the middle ages?
1) COMMUNICATIONS- merchants from different countries traded more- exchanged ideas and books on medicine from Muslims in Arabia
2) WAR- armies took trained doctors to war where gathered experience as surgeons but kings spent a lot of money on war and not public health schemes like water pipes and sewers
3) governments- there were laws to force towns and cities to clean up but not policy to enforce laws and no money from the king
4) attitudes and religious beliefs- church set up universities for doctors to be trained.
-built hospitals for the sick
Monasteries had works of Galen and Hippocrates but uni’s didn’t teach doctors to look for new ideas because of galen’s
what did Arab scholars transcribe?
the works of Galen and Hippocrates into Arabic and their work was read by medical students
how did Arabs doctors increase their knowledge?
by learning from Indian and Persian doctors
what was the Muslim physician called who wrote an important medical textbook?
Auilenna, it was used throughout Europe and Muslim world for 800 years
what did Arab religion mean?
couldn’t dissect but believed all important dissections had happened anyway
