History - Medieval Medicine

Civilization:

• Greek and roman ideas were lost - monastires alone hung onto learning
• But these ideas still survived in the middle east.
• Dominated by the Catholic church - very superstitious.
  
• The big roman cities disintegrated into small towns governed by a local lord.
• So they could not afford Universities for learning or public health systems.
• Communications were difficult so ideas traveled slowly.
  
• Technology was limited and advanced roman technology was lost.

Causes of downfall in the Middle Ages:

• Loss of medical knowledge - bad, unqualified doctors i.e Quakers
• Emphasis of authority rather than observation and investigation
• Lack or resources to build public health systems.
  
• Social disorder and war, disrupted communication and learning

However, the church crusades in the east brought some Arabic medicine to Europe.

Arabic Medicine in the Middle East:

• They translated the works of galen and Hippocrates - still used the idea of the four humours and theory of opposites - kept clean, eat healthly, excerised - better the Europe.
• But they didn't make any attempt to progress there own studies of medicine.
  
• Dissection was forbidden.
  
• To Understand there theories was more important than practicing them.
  
• They taught reading and writing and most people could read and write so they works of Galen and Hippocrates could be publicly distributed - these ideas were easy to spread.
• They cared very heavily for the sick and believed it was a 'religious duty'
• The European crusades to the East brought Europeans into contact with Arab medicine and even brought some back to England.
  

Black Death:

• There were two types - the bubonic plague and pneumonic plague.
• Both carried in the gut of the oriental flee in boats from italy etc. - dirty cities and no knowledge of germs spread the disease rapidly.

Different theories about the causes:

• The un-balancing of the four humours - Galens Opposite theory.
• Astronomy - movement of the sun and planets, Adjacent etc.
• Believed it was a punishment from God or caused by the devil - Flagellants believed this and punished themselves by whipping themselves to repent for there sins.
• Invisible fumes or potions in the air - miasma.