Paytyn Dyer
World History
Ms. Penrose
23 May 2023
Medicine’s Effect on Medieval Europe As time has gone on, societies have built upon past medical knowledge. In the Middle Ages, physicians adapted medicinal ideas from the Romans, Byzantines, Greeks, and Muslims. Within the realm of medieval medicine, there are various aspects. Medieval medicine not only includes physical medicine and practices used, but also inventions and innovations that developed medical technology. The attitudes citizens had toward these medicines were also a key part of medieval Europe's development. All aspects of medieval medicine were fundamental to the development of Europe as a whole. Specifically, the medical practices, innovations, and the way society viewed medicine
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However, many unique practices were used in Europe. Firstly, early European physicians viewed illness as a result of an imbalance of the humors. The humors they believed in are connected to the elements of nature: fire, water, earth, and air (Hajar). These humors included blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile (Hajar). Moreover, medieval physicians used leeching, bleeding, and cupping to remedy these imbalances. In addition, another practice that was used throughout the Middle Ages in Europe was using plants as medicine. Apothecaries and monks had a wide range of knowledge about the benefits of certain herbs and plants. For instance, a combination of henbane and hemlock was used to ease aching joints. Lung problems were managed with licorice and comfrey medicine (Hajar). Consequently, these practices formed Europe into a society centered around the natural world. The healing that nature brought to medieval Europe shaped society to focus on the world around them. Believing in these humors made the medieval society feel they were connected to nature directly. Relying on the earth for medicine also strengthened the relationship between medieval citizens and the …show more content…
In every society, views differ; however, most views on medicine followed a particular trend. Society saw medicine as holy. Citizens believed that a doctor was similar to a divine being, preserving life. Additionally, “specialized knowledge and the power of healing … were associated with the sacred and the divine.” (Laurel). Furthermore, society viewed diseases as punishment from God (Laurel). This view can be attributed to medieval Europe’s return to religious medicine. As a result, “medical knowledge and skill were claimed by monks.” (Nespoli et al.). These non-secular or religious views on medicine delayed the medical development of medieval Europe. Conversely, many other societies at the time, such as the Muslim world, were blossoming with medical innovations. The religious views expressed by the church influenced the citizens of medieval Europe to be “less progressive” in their medical discoveries
Anatomy was now beginning to be taught in universities. Due to the fall of the Church, the study of anatomy became more common. Citizens who wondered about human anatomy now had the resources to go and learn about it, instead of blindly believing whatever the Church said. It was also taught in universities, which educated the future of Europe, which led to new ideas and further convinced the citizens that the Roman Catholic Church was not all-knowing. As well as the spread of medicinal knowledge, doctors began to reconsider the cause of the plague.
Galen used elements to explain illnesses and diseases. He said that your blood/air was hot and wet, yellow bile/fire was hot and dry, black bile/earth was dry and cold, and that phlegm/water was cold and wet. Galen called these ‘humors’, he said when you have a proper balance you were considered to be healthy and when you had an improper balance it was suspected that there was a disease present. In 1668 a man named Hermann Boerhaave was born.
Section 1: Identification and Evaluation of Sources This investigation will explore the question: To what extent did surgical practices change from The Middle Ages to the Renaissance? Medical Theology and Anatomical practices from the 1400s to the 1600s are the two main subject areas for this investigation. History texts and online archives will be used to research details of the practices, especially the beginnings of human dissection, and psychological performances such as lobotomy. Source A is a secondary source chosen due to the detailed accounts of the transformation of science during the time period.
Henry VIII is one of the most well known monarchs of all time. He is infamous for his looks, tyrannical behavior, and religious reformation. However, Henry did not just reform the Church, but the entirety of the medical field as well. Medicine directly impacted Henry’s life, and he had a genuine personal interest in it. He was what modern historians would call a “germaphobe” and even came up with his own remedies for his many ailments.
Medieval doctors know little; they cut, offer holy water, animal byproducts, and chemical treatments. By 1778 John Hunter 's clinic in London assigns Atossa 's cancer a stage, and for early, localized cancer a local operation is recommended.
During the 1800s, physicians practiced various medical techniques, such as homeopathy and herbalism, while some physicians invented new techniques, like Electrotherapy. In the early 1800s, physicians relied on the "heroic" medicines for their medical treatments. Physicians classified the "heroic" medicines as treatments that would clean impurities from the body like purgation or bleeding by cup or by leech. For the people and physicians who did not agree with the "heroic" medicine, the development of other medical practices allowed them to deviate from the practices of the "heroic" medicines.
In the years of 1500-1700s, there were many new ideas in Europe after the Renaissance. With these ideas scientists started to discover, there were new medicine and new systems to find out ideas quicker. Although many people liked this new era of technology, this deeply troubled the church. The Scientific Revolution and the Enlightenment made the church furious because they believe everything was created by God. However, scientists like Newton, Kepler, Copernicus, and many more were able observe and conclude ideas, the microscope and other instruments improved observations, and others like Thomas Hobbes created a social contract so many people can speak freely, Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment considered to be a success in Europe and
Chapter 17 Quiz reassessment Throughout 1550-1700, Europe experienced great developments that helped better their society. This period is known as the Scientific Revolution. During this era, new groundbreaking ways of viewing life and reasoning were introduced in society. In this period the scientific method was created which gave people an organized way to conduct reasoning and research.
Instead, they consulted midwives who assisted with childbirths and made herbal remedies to treat illnesses. Minor surgeries were not done in the hospital but at the local barbershop” (Medicine: The Renaissance, 2023). Additionally, the widespread belief in superstition and the supernatural made it difficult to gain acceptance for new medical ideas and treatments. This led to a resistance to change and innovation in the medical field.
Medicine is one of the most impactful advantages of modern-day society. Today, medicine consists of vaccines, surgeries, and yearly doctor visits. However, medical practices have existed in very different ways in each period. One of the significant shifting moments occurred during the period of the 1800s to the early 1900s. This hundred-year span marked the start of the exponential growth of medicine and medical operations.
Just as medieval doctors used alcohol and plants to put people to sleep, doctors in the Middle Ages had many fascinating ways of identifying disease. Medieval doctors used many philosophies and theories on the causes of disease, as did many of their ancestors. Such as the "humor" theory and the thought that imbalance was the cause of disease. Medieval medical practitioners did not differ from their classical predecessors on the causes of disease. These medical practices were passed down from generation to generation and influenced much of the medicine of the Middle Ages.
Head pains were treated with sweet smelling herbs such as rose, lavender, sage and bay. Stomach pains were treated with wormwood, mint and balm. Amputations were performed by surgeons the ‘stump’ was cauterized with a pitch. Wounds were treated with vinegar as a cleaning agent and it was believed it would kill the disease. Typhoid, broken bones, wound, abscesses and fractures were treated in unsanitary environments.
The practice of Medicine has been performed since the times of Ancient Greece. While the Greeks believed these illnesses came from the Greek Gods, today’s physicians and medical experts know the true causes due to research and practices being carried out in America since the early 17th century. Medical procedures have drastically changed whether from hygienic purposes to practical or an increase of knowledge of the body. How different are our modern practices from the early Greeks and 17th century America? Section Two: Summary
The Scientific Revolution “refers to historical changes in thought & belief, to changes in social & institutional organization, that unfolded in Europe between roughly 1550-1700” (Hatch). This revolution was a time to replace
Also, Europeans used their medical knowledge to try and justify their imperialism, as Headrick states, “European medicine provided the rationale for much of the imperialist enterprise, serving to justify it in terms of humanitarianism and progress” (Headrick, 108). Europeans argued that they were trying to bring civilization and progress to those who were “uncivilized”. They believed that they were inferior and needed intervention in order to grow as a civilization and people. So, they argued that they would be the ones that would bring this process and civilization to them since they