Supernatural & Religious Explanations

Superstitions about Disease in Medieval Medicine

Alongside natural causes, doctors believed that supernatural causes could lead to illness. Some of the things that were believed to cause disease were:

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God

Many people thought that illness was God’s will. If someone did something bad (committed a sin), God could punish them with illness.
Prayer and repentance were thought to be a way to make a person better after an illness/disease.
To repent for bad deeds, many used prayers or flagellation (whipping yourself).

Witches and spirits

Some people believed that supernatural spirits could live inside a person and cause illnesses.
- Some people in the Church did “exorcisms” to get these spirits out of people's bodies.
Witches were also thought to be responsible for some diseases spreading across a town.

Astrology

These supernatural reasons were based on astrology (how the stars and planets were aligned).
- Astrology was first used in Arabic society but it was used in Europe after 1100.
Doctors used star signs and an almanac (calendar showing planetary movements) to diagnose and treat diseases.

The Contribution of Christianity

The Christian Church had a mixed impact on medicine in Britain.

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

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 superstition slowed progress.

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

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 Christian Church had a mixed impact on medicine in Britain. Christian duty played a role in medicine in medieval times.

Christian duty

Following 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

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

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 in Medieval England

1.1Ideas about the Cause of Disease & Illness

1.1.1Supernatural & Religious Explanations

1.1.2Hippocrates

1.1.3Galen

1.1.4End of Topic Test - Ideas About Disease

1.1.5Exam-Style Questions - Hippocrates' Contribution

1.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment

1.2.1Medieval 'Doctors'

1.2.2Medieval Surgery

1.3Case Study

1.3.1The Black Death

1.3.2End of Topic Test - Medieval treatment

1.3.3Grade 9 - Medieval Medicine

2The Medical Renaissance in England

2.1Ideas about the Cause of Disease & Illness

2.1.1Scientific Approach & Knowledge

2.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment

2.2.1Changing Methods of Treatment

2.2.2Institutions & Technology

2.2.3Changes for Physicians, Surgeons & Hospitals

2.2.4Dissection & Vesalius

2.3Case Studies

2.3.1William Harvey & the Great Plague

2.3.2End of Topic Test - Medical Renaissance in England

2.3.3Grade 9 - The Medical Renaissance

3Medicine in 18th & 19th Century Britain

3.1Ideas about the Cause of Disease & Illness

3.1.1Germ Theory

3.1.2Koch & Pasteur's Vaccination

3.1.3Exam-Style Questions - Pasteur & Koch

3.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment

3.2.1Improving Public Health

3.2.2Anaesthetics & Antiseptics

3.2.3Physicians, Surgeons & Nurses

3.2.4Exam-Style Questions - Nightingale's Contribution

3.3Case Studies

3.3.1Vaccination & Edward Jenner

3.3.2Fighting Cholera in London, 1854

3.3.3End of Topic Test - 18th & 19th Century Medicine

3.3.4Grade 9 - 18th & 19th Century Medicine

4Medicine in Modern Britain

4.1Modern Understanding of Disease

4.1.1Viruses & Bacteria

4.1.2New Diseases & Treatments in 20th C

4.1.3Diagnosing Disease

4.2Approaches to Prevention & Treatment

4.2.1Antibiotics

4.2.2New Treatments in the 20th Century

4.2.3New Approaches to Surgery & Prevention

4.2.4Social Changes in the Early 20th Century

4.2.5The NHS

4.2.6The NHS 2

4.3Case Studies

4.3.1Penicillin & Lung Cancer

4.3.2End of Topic Test - Modern Britain

4.3.3Grade 9 - Medicine in Modern Britain

5Treatment in WW1

5.1Medicine in WW1

5.1.1Trench Warfare

5.1.2The Impact of WW1

5.1.3Disease in the Trenches

5.1.4End of Topic Test- Treatment in WW1

5.1.5Grade 9 - Treatment in WW1

5.1.6Exam-Style Questions - Role of War on Medicine

6Themes in Medicine

6.1Themes in Medicine over Time

6.1.1The Role of Individuals

6.1.2Institutions - Government

6.1.3Institutions - The Church

6.1.4Science & Technology

6.1.5Attitudes in Society

6.1.6End of Topic Test -Themes in Medicine

6.1.7Grade 9 - Themes in Medicine

6.1.8Exam-Style Questions - Attitudes to Illness

7Some Extra Context (Not Compulsory for Exam)

7.1Medieval Medicine

7.1.1Islamic Advances in Medieval Medicine

7.1.2End of Topic Test - Extra Content

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