Medieval medical standstill: medieval medicine

Question 1

What did people in the medieval era believe about how God affected illness and disease?

Answer 1

• if a person was leading a sinful life than an illness was Gods way of punishing them for their sins.
• Doctrine of signatures: God created illness but he also created a cure through herbs and plants.
• if society as a whole was being sinful, or moving away from the path of religion and Pope the an epidemic or plague was sent by God to remind people of their duties to the church.

Question 2

What did people in the medieval era believe about how bad smells affected illness and disease?

Answer 2

Some people thought bad smells caused diseases. This particularly affected towns and where people lived along side their animals and their filth.

Question 3

What did people in the medieval era believe about how the supernatural affected illness and disease?

Answer 3

• witch craft was feared and many believed the world was full of demons trying to cause trouble and death.
• mystery and the supernatural world were used by some to explain illness or death or general misfortune.

Question 4

How did every day life contribute to the understanding of illness/disease/death in the medieval era?

Answer 4

Most people believed that illness and early deaths were inevitable. Mortality rates among children were very high as well as maternal mortality rate.

Accidents, warfare and famine were frequent.

Question 5

What did people on the medieval era believe about The Four Humours?

Answer 5

They believed people got ill when the Four Humours were out of balance.

Question 6

What methods of diagnosis were often used in medieval era?

Answer 6

• urine sample

- astrological chart and information.

Question 7

When were medical schools forts set up?

Answer 7

12th century

Question 8

Who treated patients/the ill?

Answer 8

Barber surgeons, doctors, midwives, apothecaries.

Question 9

What was the role of women in the medieval era when it came to treating the ill?

Answer 9

It was extremely Rae for their to be a female physician. One female physician called Tortula taught at a university in the 12th century.

Question 10

How was dissection used in medical schools to teach students and what were the disadvantages?

Answer 10

Students didn’t do any dissection themselves. They got all their knowledge from Galen’s writings. They hoped by 1340 they would be able to do 1 dissection a year. As dissection was carried out students could only watch and listen.

Question 11

How were textbooks and teachings used in medical schools to teach students and what were the disadvantages?

Answer 11

Old manuscripts by Galen were used and translated to use for lectures as well as manuscripts form Muslim, Chinese and Indian worlds.
Students never actually got to use the manuscripts/books S they took too long to copy and couldn’t afford to be lost or damaged. Instead they would read passages which students debated. They had to be carful want they said as the church (universities sponsor) would not allow criticism of Galen.

Question 12

How was diagnosis used in medical schools to teach students and what were the disadvantages?

Answer 12

They learned how to diagnose an illness mainly through the theory if the Four Humours. Also taught how to examine patients urine against a chart.
However, they never saw any patients while studying, they only studies theory. Diagnosing real patients had to wait until they were a qualified physician.

Question 13

How were The Four Humours used in medical schools to teach students?

Answer 13

The theory of the Four Humours came form the Ancient Greek world. Each element was strongest in a specific season with specific quantities.

Question 14

How were astrological used in medical schools to teach students?

Answer 14

They were taught to use astrological charts so that they could work out the position of planets wife deciding the best treatment. The astrological chart tells us which part of the body links to which astrological sign. It would also tell them the best time to treat patients.

Question 15

How was bleeding used in medical schools to teach students?

Answer 15

This was important because it was key in keeping the the body’s Humours in balance. They were taught to bleed using both the bleeding cup and teachers.

Question 16

What was the role of a healer?

Answer 16

Usually a village women who acted as a mid-wife and also had special knowledge of herbs and charms. A healer may accept some small payment or goods in return for her service.

Question 17

What was the role of an apothecary?

Answer 17

Always a man who sold wine, herbs and spices. They prepared and sold medicines to physicians and directly to patients. They also offered medical advice and other medical products.

Question 18

What was the role of a barber surgeon?

Answer 18

Always a man most towns had one of these. They pulled teeth and performed simple surgery e.g. amputation. They were identified by a red and white pole.

Question 19

What was the role of a physician?

Answer 19

Always a man who trained at one of Europe’s medical schools. He would use astrological and urine charts as well as the theory of The Four Humours in deciding the best treatment - often blood letting. They charges high fees.

Question 20

Islamic individuals: who was Caliph Harun al-Rashid?

Answer 20

During his reign (786-809) the capital city of Baghdad became a centre for the translation of Greek manuscripts into Islamic. Also set up a major free hospital in Baghdad with a medical school and library.

Question 21

How was Hippocrates and Galen’s work preserved?

Answer 21

They’re manuscripts were copied in Islam but Muslims during the darks age were the church fell and much work was lost.

Question 22

Islamic individuals: Who was Ibn Sina?

Answer 22

(980-1037) also known as Avicenna. He wrote an encyclopaedia of medicine called Canon of Medicine. It covered the whole Ancient Greek and Islam medical knowledge. It listed the properties of 760 drugs and contained chapters of medical properties. It become the standard European medical text book and was used in universities to teach doctors until the 17th century. It was translated into many languages.

Question 23

Islamic individuals: Who was Al-Razi?

Answer 23

(865-925) also known as Rhazes was a Muslim doctor who stressed the need for careful observation and distinguished the difference between measles and small pox for the first time. Wrote over 150 books and was a follower of Galen but believed students should improve in the work of their teacher.

Question 24

Islamic individuals: Who was Caliph Al-Mamun?

Answer 24

Al Rashids son, (813-833) developed his fathers library into ‘the house of wisdom’, which was the worlds largest library at the time and a study centre for scholars.

Question 25

Ancient Greek individuals: Who was Hippocrates?

Answer 25

(460-370BC) was the physician to regard the body as a whole rather than separate parts, He believed in the importance of observation and that diet and rest were important in recovery. He is credited for wiring 60 books and is regarded as the father if modern medicine.

Question 26

Ancient Greek individuals: Who is Galen?

Answer 26

(AD130-210 therefore Roman times) furthered the ideas of Hippocrates. He dissected animals in order to understand the human body better. Worked for 3 years as a doctor in a glaciation child were he developed his knowledge and ideas further. He used theory of Four Humours and stressed importance of listening to a patients pulse. His ideas influenced Western ideas of medicine for a long time.

Question 27

How did Galen’s work spread through Europe?

Answer 27

Greek translations were made in Salerno, in Italy (first medical university dating from around AD900), and rapidly became accepted and university medical texts. Church leaders looked carefully at his work and decided they fitted Christian ideas as they referred to the ‘creator’. Salerno was often a stopping point when travelling to the ‘holy lands’ so this is how is work spread.

Question 28

What were The Four Humours?

Answer 28

They believed that the body contained Four Humours: blood, phlegm, black bile, yellow bile. To remain healthy a body needed to keep the Four Humours in balance. Some Humours were beloved to be ‘hot’ e.g. yellow bile and blood were though to create sweating illness. Some Humours were ‘cold’ e.g. black bile and phlegm and created illnesses like melancholia.

Question 29

What are the similarities between Greek and Muslim ideas of medicine?

Answer 29

Hospitals:
-charity and caring for others was important in Islam. Hospitals were set up for the sick, the first one being in Cairo in AD1283. It also saw that patients were given money when they left so they could recover instead of going straight back to work.

-Greeks believed in Asclepios (God of healing) from 600BC Asclepion temples were built in quiet places (they were the closest Greeks got hospitals).

Keeping a healthy mind and body:
-Asclepion temples contained baths, stadiums and gymnasiums. People believed if they fell asleep in his temple him and his daughters Panacea and Hygeia would heal them.

-In Islam they encouraged the building of public baths because the Qur’an said hygiene was important for health. ‘Keep your house and yards clean. Allah does not like dirt and untidiness…every Muslim must have a bath once a week.’

Both wanted to learn/open to new knowledge:
-Wealthy classes spent much time becoming educated and discussing new ideas such as the Four Humours. Trade also helped bringing knowledge and methods from other civilisations.

-the Islamic religion encouraged medical learning and love of learning meant that Arabic doctors preserved the medical works of Galen and Hippocrates. They were encouraged to improve upon and extend medical knowledge.

Question 30

What are the differences between Greek and Muslim ideas of medicine?

Answer 30

-Islam refused to allow dissection of human bodies. This prevented surgeons from studying the human body in order to improve their skills and knowledge.

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