1.4.1
Christianity & Medicine
The Contribution of Christianity
The Contribution of Christianity
The Christian Church had a mixed impact on medicine in Britain.
Supernatural causes
Supernatural causes
- The Church promoted the belief that illness was because of supernatural causes. Because of this, Christians believed that God would heal illness.
- Prayers were viewed as the most important kind of treatment.
- Christians would go on pilgrimages to relics or to the resting place of saints in the hope of miraculously recovering from illnesses.
Forbade dissections
Forbade dissections
- The Church only allowed dissections to happen on criminals that had been executed.
- This meant that Galen’s mistaken beliefs about the anatomy (holes in the heart and blood being absorbed not circulated) could not be corrected.
- Here, religion and superstitution slowed progress.
Wars
Wars
- Some historians have claimed that the Church’s encouragement of the Crusades diverted (moved) funds away from hospitals and health towards wars.
- However, the Crusades meant that Western Europeans met Muslim doctors.
- This meant that ideas from the Islamic Empire could be used in Europe.
Medical writings
Medical writings
- Lots of Ancient Roman and Greek medical texts were lost when the Roman Empire fell.
- Monks tried to copy and preserve medical texts.
- Dissent began to be caused by people questioning the Church’s reliance on old books.
- For example, a monk called Roger Bacon was arrested for challenging the books in the 1200s.
The Contribution of Christianity - Following Jesus
The Contribution of Christianity - Following Jesus
The Christian Church had a mixed impact on medicine in Britain. Christian duty played a role in medicine in medieval times.
Christian duty
Christian duty
- Followings Jesus Christ’s example, Christians believed that helping the sick was a Christian duty.
- Monasteries were usually hygienic and had clean water and good sewage facilities.
New hospitals
New hospitals
- Because of their religious beliefs, the Church promoted the creation of hospitals. Hospitals were funded by the Church or aristocratic patrons.
- These hospitals were usually overseen by priests not doctors.
Palliative hospitals
Palliative hospitals
- Hospitals were designed to help look after the sick not treat and heal them. Most medicine in medieval times was palliative (relieve symptoms not cure condition)
- For example, Bedlam in London was founded in 1247 to look after those with mental illnesses.
- People with leprosy were isolated in “lazar houses”.
1Medicine Stands Still
1.1Ancient Egyptian Approaches to Medicine
1.2Ancient Greek Medicine
1.3Medieval Medicine
1.4Religion & Medicine
1.5Public Health in the Middle Ages
2The Beginnings of Change
2.1The Impact of the Renaissance on Britain
2.2Treating Illnesses in the Renaissance
3A Revolution in Medicine
3.1The Development of Germ Theory & its Impact
3.2A Revolution in Surgery
4Modern Medicine
4.1Modern Treatment of Disease
4.2New Diseases & Treatments in the 20th Century
5Themes in Public Health
Jump to other topics
1Medicine Stands Still
1.1Ancient Egyptian Approaches to Medicine
1.2Ancient Greek Medicine
1.3Medieval Medicine
1.4Religion & Medicine
1.5Public Health in the Middle Ages
2The Beginnings of Change
2.1The Impact of the Renaissance on Britain
2.2Treating Illnesses in the Renaissance
3A Revolution in Medicine
3.1The Development of Germ Theory & its Impact
3.2A Revolution in Surgery
4Modern Medicine
4.1Modern Treatment of Disease
4.2New Diseases & Treatments in the 20th Century
5Themes in Public Health
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