Medicine Through Time Flashcards
(237 cards)
What was medicine and public health like in Britain before the Romans in summary?
- The Ancient Greeks had developed an explanation for ill health based on the idea that it was caused by an imbalance in a person’s Four Humours. Treatment could be based on changes in diet, and encouraging the patient to exercise and take rest. However, treatment could also be bloodletting or purging by letting out excess humour.
- Many people relied on religion, by praying and carrying charms, herbal remedies were also used.
What was medicine and public health like in Britain after the Romans came?
- In 1347, the Black Death arrived in Europe and approximately one third of the population died.
- The understanding of disease was very limited and people continued to base their treatments around Galen’s ideas. But discoveries in the 16th and 17th centuries began to improve the understanding of the body.
When did the Romans conquer Britain?
43AD
Why did the Romans become interested in improving public health but less interested in what caused disease?
They relied on healthy citizens for trading and farming therefore they needed a healthy empire however they thought that it was unnecessary to know about what caused disease.
What did Romans bring with them which lead to major improvements in public health?
They brought a system of government which brought:
- Access to clean water
- Sewage systems
- Public baths
The Romans put emphasis on hygiene and fitness which meant that fewer people stood a chance to get ill.
Even though the Romans brought new ideas to improve public health, there was a lot of continuity in treatment. What was still carried on?
- The use of Galen’s ideas such as bloodletting
- Herbal remedies
- Praying and charms
Why didn’t the Romans help all citizens?
As treatments such as bloodletting which may have been the most sophisticated out of all the treatments was only done if you were able to afford for a physician.
What increased the chance of disease?
More and more people moved into the towns, making them more crowded and therefore disease spread quicker.
As soldiers moved from country to country, there was a more likely chance of a pandemic adding to the chances of an epidemic.
Overall what was the effect of the Romans?
They bought many changes to public health which lead to healthier people and an increased life expectancy however due to very little progress in treatment and medical understanding your chances of survival were no greater than before. Bloodletting was only afforded by the wealthy so not everyone’s health improved.
Who influenced Roman medicine and what did he believe?
Hippocrates
He believed that disease wasn’t sent by God but had a physical, rational basis and therefore can be treated
What was Hippocrates’ main ideas?
- A doctor should respect life and if he did not know how to treat something, he should not try anything harmful
- He developed The Theory of the Four Humours as an explanation for disease. If there was an excess of a humour it needs to be let out to prevent or cure an illness.
- He developed the Clinical Observation
What does the Clinical Observation state?
- Study the patient’s symptoms and ask about how this illness had developed
- Make notes and use knowledge from similar cases to predict what would happen next.
- Once the predictions are accurate, correctly diagnose the illness and treat it, preferably through diet, exercise and rest
What were the Four Humours?
Four different liquids of the body
- Blood
- Phlegm
- Yellow bile (sick)
- Black bile (blood in vomit)
What did each humour represent?
(Refer to diagram and pic)

How does the Four Humours identify when a person is suffering from illness?
The humours will become imbalanced.
When did Claudius Galen work in Rome?
2nd century AD
What did Galen develop?
Using the Four Humours he developed the Theory of Opposites, eg. if you had a cold you should eat hot peppers
How did Galen develop knowledge on how the body works?
By doing dissections on animals.
Overall, what was Galen’s impact on medicine?
Many of his ideas were based on Hippocrates therefore there was a lot of continuity. He did dissections of animals and developed knowledge on anatomy however as it was on animals his findings weren’t entirely accurate. Due to him boasting about perfecting Greek ideas, he developed the reluctance in believing in new ideas in people to discover further in medicine.
What were Romans ideas on the causes of disease?
- It was a supernatural reason; God has given a punishment for someone’s sin
- Bad air from swamps and other places with bad smells (they realised that hygiene was linked to health but didn’t know why)
- Caused by an imbalance of the Four Humours
What did the Romans do when they needed treatment?
There were very few doctors therefore the majority was treated at home within the family. The wealthy who were able to afford a doctor would be treated at home too. There were a few hospitals but they were assigned to the wounded and injured soldiers. They were well equpped and provided excellent training for physicians and surgeons. However, very few hospitals were open to the public so they would have had very little impact on ordinary lives.
Many visited temples to offer prayers to God and often consulted with a priest. They also went to public baths as they believed that they had healing properties.
Pregnant women relied on other women to help them with child birth. Some women were very experienced and were used as midwives.
Overall what were medical treatments and ideas like during the Roman era?
There were various supernatural as well as rational ideas about the causes of disease. Threatments were also a mix of supernatural and practical. A variety of people treated the sick but only a few used trained doctors as there were very few of them and they were expensive.
What did Romans notice about disease?
That disease seemed to increase if you lived near bad smelling places such as swamps and therefore started building in much cleaner, and hygienic places. They believed in the theory of miasma (bad air causes disease) and also recognised a link between dirt and disease however could not explain it. They stressed on removing sewage and cleanliness.
Was admission free to enter public baths?
No
