C1500-C1700 Flashcards
Why was the impact of scientific discoveries up to 1700 so small
There were still huge gaps in knowledge
The general public believed in the theory of the four humours
There was a lack of quality medical instruments
Change about the ideas of the causes of illness
Theory of the four humours was no longer believed by many physicians
Much better understanding of the human body
Diagnosis using urine was no longer used
Medical books weren’t as commonly used
Most people recognised that god did not send disease
Astrology was much less popular from 1500
What was humanism
Characterised by a love of learning, a new interest in classical scholars and the belief that human beings could make up their own minds when it came to discovering the truth of the world around them
Humanism represented a break with some of the old medival traditions
More experimentation began to take place
Who was Thomas Sydenham
A well respected doctor in London in the 1660s and 1670s
His work moved medicine in Britain away from the works of Galen and Hippocrates
He refused to rely on medical books and made his own observations
He was able to identify that measles and scarlet fever were separate diseases
He believed that diseases could be organised into different groups
He theorised that the nature of the patient had little to do with the disease
The printing press
1440 - johannes Gutenberg (German)
By 1500 there were hundreds in Europe
Texts could be spread more accurately and quickly
Took book copying out of the hands of the church meaning more varied topics could be published
The royal society
Created in 1660
A way for scientists to share their discoveries and ideas
It promoted carrying out experiments to further the understanding of science
1662 it received its royal charter from the king
This support gave them credibility and raised their profile
Many people sent work to be published and were willing to donate money to support the scientific work
1665 - published their scientific journal called Philosophical transactions which was made up of discoveries and observations by European scientists
This created a platform for scientists to spread their ideas
The society offered funding for translations of European scientific texts and encouraged its members to write in English to make it accessible for everyone
Treatments (change)
New theory transference
Remedies continued to be used but began to be chose regarding their colour and shape, new plants from the new world began to appear, creating new remedies
The growth of alchemy had an impact on medical treatments, known as iatrochemistry
Treatments (continuity)
Belief in miasma - still carried sweet herbs
Herbal remedies continued to be popular
Prevention (change)
Bathing became less fashionable
People began to think that disease was related to other factors like the weather (used new instruments like barometers and thermometers)
More steps were now taken to remove miasma from the air
Prevention (continuity)
People continued to practice regimen sanitatis
Cleanliness was still important
Miasma was still believed in
Medical care change
Education for surgeons and apothecaries increased considerably
More surgery was needed due to wars and iatrochemistry introduced new ingredients to apothecaries
Both surgeons and apothecaries had to posses licenses to be able to practice their trade
Medical books were much more accessible for physicians and dissection was now legalised
Medical care continuity
Apothecaries and surgeons kept the same roles and still provided for those unable to afford physicians
For physicians all learning was still from books with very little practical work, it was very hard to carry out dissections as fresh corpses were hard to possess
Andrea versalius
He was a famous anatomist from Paris (1533)
He published “six anatomical tables” in 1537, showing the different parts of the human body
In 1543 he published “de humani corporis fabrica” in which he noted the errors Galen had made which he had discovered through carrying out dissections. He found around 300 mistakes
He encouraged doctors to base their work on dissections rather than books
A lot of traditional physicians were angry that he has criticised Galen
Caring for the sick
Patients records suggest that many people went to hospital with wounds and curable diseases and were actually treated
In 1536, after the dissolution of the monasteries, many hospitals run by monks and nuns had closed
Smaller hospitals funded by charities opened but there was a massive decrease in the amount of medical care
Hospitals specialising in one particular disease opened called pest houses, due to the growing understanding that disease could be spread from person to person
Women continued to care for the sick at home and mix herbal remedies however many of them were prosecuted for practicing medicine without a license
William Harvey
Born in 1578
Lecturer in anatomy in 1615
1618 he was a doctor for James I
He encouraged dissection and observation rather than relying on classical texts
He was interested in the blood and recognised vesalius’ discovery that veins contained valves which caused blood to flow to the heart
He proved that arteries and veins were linked together in one system
And that blood flows from artery’s to veins though tiny passages that we know as capillaries
He proved that veins carry only blood and that the heart acts as a pump
