Medicine In the Middle Ages
After the collapse of the Roman Empire midway through the first
millennium A.D. many of its former provinces suffered from regression.
As the affluent empirical resources had been taken away with the
withdrawal of the Roman armies from Britain, few had the knowledge or
skill to continue their work or to preserve their foundations of a
great society. With the chaos following the Romans' withdrawal, while
Britain was invaded by the Vikings, Saxons and Normans, much of their
knowledge was lost.
Very few people could read or write so the books the Romans had
learned from were useless. As the British people were conquered by
nations who had never been under the Roman influence and therefore had
no understanding of their literature or practical beliefs, they
regressed to a similar way of life they led from before the Romans
came.
The Roman doctors had followed practical methods of diagnosis,
prognosis, treatment and surgery but this approach was soon replaced
by superstitious and spiritual remedies. The Romans had many Gods but
their religion had never been truly accepted in Britain and the native
people held mainly pagan beliefs. With these beliefs went methods of
medicinal treatment that were based on appeasing specific spirits or
superstition. When Britain became a Christian nation these beliefs
continued and, although the spiritual cures were mostly replaced by
prayer, they still had very little effect.
The Romans had got much of their knowledge from the Greeks, who came
up with many theories about the cause of disease. The most popular was
the Theory of the Four Humours, which stated that illne...
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... fled to the countryside while the poor stayed in the
overcrowded towns to die. People who caught the plague were shut
inside their houses with their families. Many theories were developed
about how the plague was spread. Most people thought it was spread by
bad smells in the air and no one attributed it to the rats.
The Middle Ages was a time of serious regression and very little
progress was made. This was mainly because of the influence of
Christianity and the hysterical witch-hunts that led to people being
too scared to oppose the rulings of the Church. Its influence was so
powerful that until the time of Henry VIII the Church had more power
then the King. People forgot the Roman ways of thinking and instead
adopted and re-learned the pagan beliefs of Britain's conquerors,
including those which affected medicine.
The years 1348 through 1350 had been an extremely gruesome and miserable time in our world’s history. During this time period, one of the most devastating pandemics in history had struck half the world with an intensifying and deadly blow. It had been responsible for over 75 million deaths and 20 million of these deaths were from Europe alone. Out of the countries that were hit hardest in Europe from mortality rates and economic downturns, England was one of them. This grave disease that marked the end of the middle ages and the start of the modern age is known as the Black Plague.
The contributions of several doctors, researchers, and scientists helped improve the health of the growing population. In 1850 the average life expectancy was 42 years. By 1910 the average life expectancy had risen to nearly 55 years. Between 1850 and 1910 there were several advances in the medical field. The introduction of genes, white blood cells, blood groups, insulin, rubber gloves, aspirin, and vitamins and the discoveries of Pasteur, Charcot, Halsted, Zirm, Lister, and Koch were the starting point of an international fight against disease.
The practice of medicine in medieval times played a very important role in society. The communities and civilizations would not have survived without the treatments that were offered. In order to have kept the population going, medicine was required. The population might have been much smaller, or even tanked without the hope of these medicines in certain cases. If the Black Death had not occurred, most of the advancements in medicine would not have taken place. While this was a devastating event in history and a misery for all of the people affected, it led the way to many new improvements in medicine. Medical recipes were developed which used the resources they had available to create relief for some of the illnesses that affected people at that time and which we still have today. The medical issues that could not be cured with the herbs and resources they had available required surgery. Compared to modern surgeries, medieval surgeries were very different. Surgery was only performed if it was the last resort and there was no other option. They had to use poisonous resources, which could be extremely dangerous. Today, we take for granted the opportunities we have with surgery, and if we need it there is sometimes no thinking twice, as in the case of someone who gets plastic surgery to change the appearance of a part of the body. Although these practices may seem like they have no affect on where we have advanced to today, they in fact do. Without the practice of medieval medical recipes and surgical practices, the medical world would not be where it is today.
The medicinal practices and problems of the Elizabethan Era were very important to the people, although they are very different from those of today. There were many different beliefs and diseases, like the Plague. Medicine was not an exact science and was related to Alchemy (Chemistry). Here, some of the many practices and beliefs of the Elizabethan Era will be discussed.
The plague itself was disastrous enough, especially in the appearance of more than one form during the same epidemic. But coming when it did was as catastrophic as its form. The middle 14th century was not a good time for Europe. The European economy was already in difficulties. It was approaching the limits of expansion, both on its frontiers and in reclaiming land from forest and swamp. The arrival of the Mongols and the Ottomans had disrupted trade routes, and certain areas of Europe were edging into depression.
people there so that over England as a whole a fifth of the men, women
Did you know there was a time where infectious diseases like the common cold could kill you and your family? This was the elizabethan era probably the last time where sickness became the “grimm reaper” before modern medical advancements. With infectious diseases spreading and killing so many people doctors became desperate. Because these doctors knew very little about medicine, they were completely willing to try experimental treatments on their patients (Alchin). Sadly just about anybody with an infectious disease died. All the knowledge these doctors knew were based on: Humours, what brain function each internal organ controls, and how to protect themselves from it.
Professor comments: In this paper, the student synthesizes several sources about nineteenth-century medicine and medical education into a focused and coherent essay that provides information about aspects of this topic especially relevant to understanding Lydgate's position in Middlemarch: the differences among physicians, apothecaries, and surgeons, both in terms of training and duties on the one hand, social status on the other; the processes by which someone obtained a medical education and became a licensed practitioner; and the differences in English, Scottish, and French training. In doing so, the student displays an awareness of the importance of the contextual material for more than merely factual purposes, and she employs a principle of selection, concentrating on material that will facilitate her interpretation of Lydgate's role in the novel--especially in the connection between medical and political reform--in a separate essay.
Arrizabalaga, Jon. "Plague and Epidemics." The Oxford Dictionary of the Middle Ages. Vol. 3. New York: Oxford UP, 2010. 1314-317. Print.
These theories would create a change in the people’s belief system while the scientific minds of the time under the leadership of the King would argue that the black plague was a result of stars aligning or a polluted fog that would eventually clear up. Because the doctors had blamed the plague on a polluted fog, their remedy was to prevent the fog. Initially they would burn fires to prevent misting or fogs and they would also use incense to decrease the chance of catching the disease. As we have done in modern times, they were also warned against eating meats or certain types of fruits, recommend against bathing in public places and, or having sex. Another method used was to bleed the patients in order to draw the toxin out of the blood. Although many Christians had become disgruntled at the lack of answers from their priests, many continued to turn to the church for a cure, they would pray to God to end through practicing a very extreme religious sacrifice such as self-flagellation and the persecuting of the Jewish people, who at the time seemed to be immune from the black plague. Those who survived the plague suffered from an identity crisis in their faith. Instead of a deeper understanding of their faith many resented their church leaders because the lack of answers and assistance. Even
The Romans used both scientific and mythological methods in their medicine. By adopting the methods of Greek medicine; the Romans obtained a solid foundation. They copied Hippocrates, who separated the study of medicine from philosophy and had an overall approach to the health of humans. Hippocrates also observed the habits and environment of humans to accurately determine illnesses and discover treatments. The Romans adapted the Hippocratic method and combined it with mythical and religious views. The Romans used Greek methods, and also included prayers and offerings to the gods. Although all gods had healing powers, Aesculapius, the god of healing, was the most important.
World War One, in its own time, was the most destructive war Earth itself had ever seen, and this was due to the new technology. “There are two groups of people in warfare – those organized to inflict and those organized to repair wounds – and there is little doubt but that in all wars, and in this one in particular, the former have been better prepared for their jobs.” There were many advancements, disadvantages, and foundations involving medicine in World War I. The assassination of Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914 started the war, and things spiraled out of control from there. With there being so many existing alliances with countries all over, almost all of Europe became involved. Eventually two sides emerged which were the Central Powers and the Allies. America had tried to stay out of the war, but when Russia backed out in 1917 America slipped in.
The improvement of medicine over the course of the human successes gave great convenience to the people of today. Science has cured and prevented many illnesses from occurring and is on its way to cure some of the most dreadful and harmful illnesses. As the world modernizes due to the industrialization, so does the ways of medicine. Some cures are approached by chance, some, through intense, scientific measures.
The Black Plague, perhaps one of the worst epidemics in history, swept its evil across Europe in the middle of the 14th century, killing an estimated 20 million people. This major population shift, along with other disasters occurring at the time, such as famine and an already existing economic recession, plunged Europe into a dark period of complete turmoil. Anarchy, psychological breakdowns, and the dissipation of church power were some of the results. As time passed, however, society managed to find new ground and began its long path of recovery. The plague, as catastrophic as it was to medieval Europe, had just as many positive effects that came with this recovery as it did negative effects prior. An end to feudalism, increased wages and innovation, the idea of separation of church and state, and an attention to hygiene and medicine are only some of the positive things that came after the plague. It could also be argued that the plague had a significant impact on the start of the Renaissance.
During the Middle Ages, people didn’t have scientific equipment like microscopes to examine the organisms. So they concluded causes for the Black Death with unsupported evidence. Many physicians and doctors said it was in the air. It was inevitable to catch the Black Death as they claimed. Physicians describe the plague like a ‘tide of death’ (Addison et al, 2012. Page 299). However, the Church said it was the wrath of God. The priests explained that people had sinned which included sins of greed, sins of pride, sins of thieving, sins of envy, sins of lying and sins of anger. An uncommon cause was that people thought that the movement of the stars would tell when plague struck while some places even belie...