Medicine in Medieval England

Question 1

What were the religious beliefs towards illness in Medieval England?

Answer 1

Illness was punishment for sins

Question 2

Why did many people believe that illness was caused by God or the Devil in Medieval England?

Answer 2

Because the Catholic Church was so powerful

Question 3

What did many Doctors consult when diagnosing illness in Medieval England?

Answer 3

Star charts

Question 4

Why did Doctors consult star charts in Medieval England?

Answer 4

Believed that constellations of stars/movement of planets could affect a person’s health

Question 5

Miasma

Answer 5

The idea that bad smells were breathed in and made people ill

Question 6

What was miasma caused by?

Answer 6

Poisonous vapours in the air

Question 7

Theory of the Four _______

Answer 7

Humours

Question 8

Name 3 of the four humours

Answer 8

Any 3 from blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile

Question 9

In the name the four humours, what is meant by the world “humours”?

Answer 9

Liquids

Question 10

The theory of the four humours was an Ancient _____ belief

Answer 10

Greek

Question 11

What did the theory of the four humours mean?

Answer 11

If the four humours were out of balance, this would make someone ill

Question 12

What was yellow bile?

Answer 12

Vomit

Question 13

What was black bile?

Answer 13

Probably blood in vomit

Question 14

What were the religious treatments in Medieval England?

Answer 14

Praying and going on a pilgrimage to a religious shrine

Question 15

Why did lots of ill people pray in Medieval England?

Answer 15

They believed it would show God that they were sorry for their sins and should not be punished

Question 16

True/False: Doctors consulted zodiac charts when deciding how to treat a patient

Answer 16

True, they would decide how to treat, or not to treat, certain parts of the body based on the positions of stars and planets

Question 17

Why did people in Medieval England try to avoid bad smells?

Answer 17

Because of the theory of miasma.

Question 18

How would people in Medieval England try and avoid bad smells?

Answer 18

By holding something like a posy of flowers or a cloth containing herbs in front of their face so the nice smell prevented the bad smell from being breathed in

Question 19

What was the Theory of Opposites?

Answer 19

A theory that stated if a body’s humours were out of balance then an ‘opposite’ treatment would make them better

Question 20

Who made the theory of opposites?

Answer 20

Galen, he had written a book in Ancient Roman times

Question 21

According to the Theory of Opposites, what should someone do if they have a runny nose/cold?

Answer 21

They should eat something such as pepper - as hot and spicy food makes people’s noses run they thought this was removing excess phlegm therefore getting back into ‘balance’

Question 22

Give 3 of the four main types of medicine in Medieval England.

Answer 22

Any 3 from warming, cooling, moistening and drying

Question 23

Where did lots of medical knowledge in Medieval England come from?

Answer 23

Ancient Greek books by Hippocrates and Galen

Question 24

Why did people take urine samples in Medieval England?

Answer 24

To examine the urine when it was warm and cold, smell it and check it against a urine chart

Question 25

What kind of things did people observe when trying to diagnose patients in Medieval England?

Answer 25

Take urine samples, examine blood, take patient's pulse and examine someone's excrement

Question 26

True/False: the theory of opposites was not used to treat patients in Medieval England.

Answer 26

False

Question 27

What "v___ m____" was the name for books that were used to treat patients in Medieval England?

Answer 27

vane mecum

Question 28

Did vane mecum contain urine charts?

Answer 28

Yes

Question 29

Did vane mecum contain zodiac charts?

Answer 29

Yes

Question 30

What treatment included in vane mecum consisten of use of leeches?

Answer 30

Bleeding to reduce excess or 'bad' blood. This was very common. Sometimes, instead of a leech, a vein would be cut and the blood collected in a bowl

Question 31

Why was purging a recommended treatment in Medieval England?

Answer 31

To reduce excess bile.

Question 32

What would doctors give patients to make them vomit up excess bile?

Answer 32

An emetic

Question 33

What was an enema in Medieval England?

Answer 33

A liquid mixture squirted up a patient's bottom to make them go to the toilet

Question 34

Enemas were used by doctors and ____________

Answer 34

Apothecaries

Question 35

How many trained physicians were there in 1300?

Answer 35

Only 100 in England

Question 36

What kind of advice did wealthy clients get on staying healthy to prevent illness in Medieval England?

Answer 36

Regular washing, cleaning teeth, combing hair, exercise and bathing

Question 37

What method beginning with an R was available only for the rich about living a healthy life in Medieval England?

Answer 37

Regimen Sanitatis

Question 38

Who did the Regimen Sanitatis method come from?

Answer 38

Hippocrates and Galen

Question 39

What was Regimen Sanitatis?

Answer 39

A Set of instructions from physicians that told patients how they should live a healthy life

Question 40

Give 3 things Regimen Sanitatis advised patients?

Answer 40

Any 3 from not to overeat, take regular exercise, get lots of sleep, breathe clean air, don't live too close to animals and regular purging of the bowels. Also regular washing including visits to a public bathhouse

Question 41

How were the rich advised to regularly purge their bowels?

Answer 41

By taking laxatives or having enemas

Question 42

Who were most people treated by in Medieval England?

Answer 42

Women

Question 43

What were some women known as in Medieval England?

Answer 43

'wise women'

Question 44

What did 'wise women' have knowledge about?

Answer 44

Herbal remedies

Question 45

True/False: Apothecaries were extremely unpopular

Answer 45

False, they were very popular

Question 46

What was the Leechbook of Bald?

Answer 46

A book that Apothecaries sometimes consulted. Leach means healer

Question 47

What did Apothecaries make medicines from?

Answer 47

Plants and herbs

Question 48

True/False: Apothecaries sometimes gave herbal/plant remedies made from wine and honey

Answer 48

True

Question 49

Did Apothecaries' medicines have any success?

Answer 49

Some had some success (garlic can kill bacteria, poppies and willow can help reduce pain

Question 50

How did Apothecaries treat warts?

Answer 50

With a toad

Question 51

How did Apothecaries treat boils?

Answer 51

With half a freshly killed pigeon

Question 52

How did Apothecaries treat fainting?

Answer 52

With the smoke from burnt feathers

Question 53

How did Apothecaries treat toothache?

Answer 53

With a candle - held by the tooth to make worms fall out the tooth

Question 54

Did barber surgeons study at university?

Answer 54

No - trained as apprentices through observing others

Question 55

What did barber surgeons do?

Answer 55

They would cut hair and shave people, but also do minor surgery

Question 56

True/False: Barber Surgeons did NOT use any antiseptic or anaesthetic

Answer 56

True, no antiseptic or anaesthetic were used

Question 57

What kind of surgery did barber surgeons do?

Answer 57

Tooth extractions, boil lancing, bleeding, setting broken bones and even amputations

Question 58

True/False: All towns had clean drinking water in Medieval England

Answer 58

False, some towns tried to through pipes and public latrines to try and reduce the amount of filth

Question 59

Latrines

Answer 59

Toilets

Question 60

Who did some towns employ to clean the streets?

Answer 60

Rakers and people to empty cesspits of human waste

Question 61

What problem did towns have involving waste and manure?

Answer 61

Waste from slaughterhouses and horse manure littered the streets because the main method of transport was horse and cart

Question 62

Why were monasteries very important places in Medieval England?

Answer 62

Had copies of books by Hippocrates and Galen

Question 63

Were anaesthetic and antiseptic used in Medieval England?

Answer 63

No

Question 64

What areas of the body did surgeons in Medieval England focus on?

Answer 64

The surface of the body or repairing wounds

Question 65

Why were the royal surgeon and surgeons employed by the army more skilled?

Answer 65

Because of their experience

Question 66

How did King Henry V's surgeon remove an arrow from his head?

Answer 66

Used honey and clean linen to dress the wound and prevent infection

Question 67

Who were hospitals ran by in Medieval England?

Answer 67

Monks and nuns

Question 68

How many hospitals did the Catholic Church build in the 13th Century?

Answer 68

160

Question 69

Why did the Catholic Church build so many hospitals in the 13th Century?

Answer 69

To look after patient's spirituality - it was believed this was the path to better help

Question 70

Who did Hospitals in Medieval England care for?

Answer 70

Pregnant women, elderly people, orphans, disabled people and travellers

Question 71

True/False: In Medieval England, if someone was really ill they would go to hospital

Answer 71

False, they would be cared for at home by family or neighbours

Question 72

What were the main treatments in hospitals in Medieval England?

Answer 72

Praying and being taught about the bible

Question 73

Why were private hospitals set up in Medieval England?

Answer 73

For guild members and those who could afford to pay for a bed

Question 74

Was there any real treatment in private hospitals in Medieval England?

Answer 74

No

Question 75

Lazars

Answer 75

Leper hospitals

Question 76

What were leper hospitals for?

Answer 76

Leprosy victims

Question 77

Leprosy

Answer 77

Caused a person's skin, toes and fingers to be eaten away and it was a slow and painful death

Question 78

What was the religious attitude towards leprosy in Medieval England?

Answer 78

This was evidence of a punishment from God

Question 79

What did leper hospitals do in Medieval England?

Answer 79

Didn't treat the victims - only provided meals and a bed

Question 80

Why were leper hospitals build on the edge of towns?

Answer 80

To keep lepers away from the towns

Question 81

Who were almshouses built for?

Answer 81

Pregnant women, the poor, sick and elderly

Question 82

What treatment did almshouses offer?

Answer 82

Monks gave herbal remedies and the main form of treatment was prayer- offered no real treatment

Question 83

Who were almshouses built by?

Answer 83

The Church

Question 84

Why did almshouses offer no real treatment?

Answer 84

Believed only God could heal