Medicine Stands Still Flashcards
(67 cards)
Medieval - natural causes of disease
- 4 humours imbalance
- miasma
Where did four humours theory originate from
- Ancient Greek doctor Hippocrates
- brought back to Western Europe via Islamic world after fall of Roman Empire
Four humours
- blood
- phlegm
- yellow bile
- black bile
How did 4 humours cause disease
Being out of balance
Where did miasma theory originate from
- Ancient Greece/Rome
- incorporated by Galen into four humours theory
Miasma theory
- bad air causes disease when breathed in
- comes from human waste/dead bodies etc.
How long did miasma theory last
Until 1860s (germ theory)
Medieval - natural disease treatments
- bloodletting/purging
- purifying air
- remedies
Medieval treatment - balancing humours
balanced humours
- bloodletting/leeching - sometimes caused death
- laxatives - purge fluids through excretion
- Galen - theory of opposites: too much cold, wet phlegm - hot, dry chicken/pepper
Medieval treatment - purifying air
- cleaned streets
- physicians carried posies/oranges
- burning juniper/myrrh/incense
Medieval treatment - remedies
- bought from apothocary / wise woman / homemade
- contained herbs, spices, animal parts, minerals
- some superstitious remedies - powdered unicorn’s horn
- remedies passed down or written in books - herbals
Significance of four humours + miasma theories
- began looking at natural disease causes
- people realised they weren’t powerless against disease
Medieval - supernatural causes of disease
- punishment from god
- demons/witches
- evil spirits living inside someone
Treatment for disease caused by punishment from God
- praying to saints
- repentance for sin
- pilgrimage to holy shrine
- flagellants - public whippings
Treatment for disease caused by demons/witches
Witch trials + executions
Treatment for disease caused by evil spirits living inside someone
Church performed exorcisms
How was astrology used to diagnose disease
- people thought movement of planets/stars could cause disease
- almanac - calendar with info on positions, used to predict patient’s health
- star signs thought to affect parts of body
Hippocrates - parts
- Hippocratic oath
- observations
- four humours
- writing
Hippocrates - hippocratic oath
- had to be (still is) taken by newly qualified doctors
- says they must treat patients to best of ability, never intentionally harm them
- increased increased confidence in doctors
Hippocrates - observations
- thought it was important to observe patient’s symptoms + development of disease
- doctors more likely to find right cure
- notes useful to treat future patients
Hippocrates - writing
- detailed lists of symptoms + treatments written over 150 years
- not all written by Hippocrates
Galen - parts
- pig experiment
- observations
- theory of opposites
- dissection
- writing
- perfect design
Galen - pig experiment
- wanted fame + fortune - public dissections
- cut into pigs neck + cut nerves to stop squealing
- got attention - became doctor for Roman Emperor
Galen - observations
- agreed with Hippocrates
- examined patient’s lifestyle + blood + urine + faeces