Health a'th'people : medieval

Question 1

Who was Galen?

Religion

Answer 1

Roman doctor who acted as a battle surgeon in the colloseum.
Monotheist.

Question 2

What medical theories did Galen believe in?

Religion

Answer 2

Expanded on the work of Hippocrates, believing in the theory of opposites (that the opposite substance to a humour could cancel it out, e.g a cold,wet cucumber if a person had hot, dry blood), and that blood was produced in the liver and consumed by the body.

Question 3

What did Hippocrates believe in?

Answer 3

• cliical observation to diagnose a disease
• Doctors should not try to hurt patients (wow)
• Four humours

Question 4

How did chance play a part in the medieval?

Answer 4

It didn’t really. It was unusual at the time for Galen to be a monotheist, but that’s about it.

Question 5

How did Religion play a part in the medieval?

Answer 5

Galen was pushed by the church, affecting medical progress.
* A 13th century monk ( Roger Bacon) was arrested for saying scientific experimentation was important
* Some blamed Black death on God’s punishment (flagellants) and Jews (antisemites)

Sometimes Religion helped
* religious patrons often funded hospitals
* The religion of Islam encouraged medical learning

Question 6

How did war play a part in the medieval?

Answer 6

Led to new developments
* Crusades led to info from islamic empire
* Hugh of Lucca was well known for arrow-removal methods
* Huh of Arderne’s writings were based on experience of the Hundred Years War

Question 7

How did role of the individual play a role in the medieval.

Answer 7

• Galen was an individual whose ideas persisted for 100s of years after his death
  Many books helped progress knowledge:
• John of Arderne wrote Practica (1376) as a surgical manual
• Ibn Sina wrote Canon of Medicine , a document over a million words, covering the entirety of ancient greek and islamic knowledge at the time. Became a standard in Europe until 17th cent

Question 8

How did science and tech play a role in the medieval?

Answer 8

Abulcasis developed cauterisation and 26 new surgical instruments, helping to stop patients bleeding out.

Question 9

How did communication play a role in the medieval?

Answer 9

Crusaders’ communication with the Muslim world was great for european medical advances.
Many books were also important

Question 10

How did government play a role in the medieval?

Answer 10

It didn’t really. Response to the plague was weak, street waste fines were rarely enforced.
However, a strong Roman government led to good health services, aqueducts (for clean water) etc. When the Roman empire fell, much of this was lost.