Cupping: the skin was pierced until it bled, a heated cup was then placed over the cut to draw out the blood. Some patients died from blood loss but physicians were not held responsible. The Four Humours Purging It was believed that the humours were created from the foods eaten, a common treatment was therefore to remove any leftover food. This was done by giving the patients an emetic (to make them vomit) or a laxative to clear out anything left in the body. These were usually strong and bitter herbs, often they contained poisons such as hellebore. Laxatives were very common and included things like mallow leaves and linseed. If more help was required an enema was given – a mixture of herbs and oils were squirted into a patient’s anus using a greased pipe fixed to a pig’s bladder. Who would you visit for treatment? Physicians Apothecaries New universities were set up across Europe They mainly mixed herbal remedies and had a making medicine more professional. degree good amount of knowledge, usually passed down took between 7 and ten years to complete. through family. They were not as skilled or knowledgeable as physicians – they just mixed Medieval doctors were known as physicians and the prescribed medicines. Lots of people would their main role was to diagnose and recommend see an apothecary as they were cheaper than a treatment. They rarely actually treated the doctor. patients themselves and often did not examine the patient in person They could also prescribe poisons which went against the Hippocratic Oath that doctors The physician would take a sample of urine, should do no harm. They did not have to have a faeces and blood. He would then consult the formal education and could not be trusted to do astrological charts and humoural charts. Many no harm. Some also provided amulets and doctors were also priests so were forbidden to charms. bleed a patient. They were expensive as there weren’t many of them because training rook so long
Cupping: the skin was pierced until it bled, a heated cup was then placed over the cut to draw out the blood. Some patients died from blood loss but physicians were not held responsible. The Four Humours Purging It was believed that the humours were created from the foods eaten, a common treatment was therefore to remove any leftover food. This was done by giving the patients an emetic (to make them vomit) or a laxative to clear out anything left in the body. These were usually strong and bitter herbs, often they contained poisons such as hellebore. Laxatives were very common and included things like mallow leaves and linseed. If more help was required an enema was given – a mixture of herbs and oils were squirted into a patient’s anus using a greased pipe fixed to a pig’s bladder. Who would you visit for treatment? Physicians New universities were set up across Europe making medicine more professional. degree took between 7 and ten years to complete. Medieval doctors were known as physicians and their main role was to diagnose and recommend treatment. They rarely actually treated the patients themselves and often did not examine the patient in person The physician would take a sample of urine, faeces and blood. He would then consult the astrological charts and humoural charts. Many doctors were also priests so were forbidden to bleed a patient. They were expensive as there weren’t many of them because training rook so long Apothecaries They mainly mixed herbal remedies and had a good amount of knowledge, usually passed down through family. They were not as skilled or knowledgeable as physicians – they just mixed the prescribed medicines. Lots of people would see an apothecary as they were cheaper than a doctor. They could also prescribe poisons which went against the Hippocratic Oath that doctors should do no harm. They did not have to have a formal education and could not be trusted to do no harm. Some also provided amulets and charms.
Health-and-medicine-revision-guide-2.docx