Topic 1 - Ideas about the cause of disease and illness Flashcards
What were monasteries?
Church buildings where monks lived, prayed and studied
Who was the pope?
The head of the Catholic church
What was astrology?
The study of the positioning of the planets and stars, and the belief that they affect human life
How did ‘sin’ being a cause of illness work?
Committing sin was commonly believed to result in the punishment of illness by God.
How did ‘demons’ being a cause of illness work?
Religious medieval people believed that demons roamed the earth, preying on good Christian people and corrupted their bodies and souls
How did ‘jews’ being a cause of illness work?
Jews were blamed for bringing about the death of Jesus Christ and so harbouring or befriending Jews was suspected of being a cause of illness
How did ‘Astrology’ being a cause of illness work?
An alignment of the stars and plants had an effect on the bodies of human beings, and could cause illness
Give two reasons why it was mostly churchmen who administered medicine in the Middle Ages
- monasteries were the only places to support learning and reading books
- The church was the only organisation to establish hospitals
What was a pilgrimage?
A trip or journey to a religious place/shrine
How did a medieval person undergo a pilgrimage to a sainsts shrine and what medical benefits did they expect from it?
An ill pilgrim may pray to a saint and make an offering to them in the hopes that the saint would intervene and a miracle would happen, curing the pilgrims illness
Describe the properties of the four humours
1) Yellow bile - Linked with fire and was believed to increase during hot and dry conditions
2) Blood - linked with air and was believed to increase during warm and moist conditions
3) Black bile- linked with earth and was believed to increase during cold and dry conditions
4) Phlegm- linked with water and was believed to increase during cold and wet conditions
According to medical belief, what was required of the four humours for a person to be healthy
They had to be balanced in the body (in equal amounts)
Describe the miasma theory
- disease was spread miasma (bad air)
- Was released from the earth when planets were aligned a certain way
- people would attempt to avoid breathing miasma by walking around with nicely scented handkerchiefs
Why were the works of Galen and Hippocrates continually influential in medieval medicine?
Their books survived and were read by monks in monasteries
List three influences that the continued knowledge of Galen and Hippocrates had on medieval medicine
- Clinical observations were observed
- Links between cleanliness and hygiene were still considered
- The theory of the four humours continued to be believed
