Medieval Medicine
DoctorsWhen illness struck people in the Middle Ages it was only the wealthy who could afford to see a doctor.
Medieval doctors charged large fees for their advice and their medicines. The ingredients used in their cures were expensive because they were often brought all the way from Asia.
Doctors fees
“Doctors have two favourite sayings, ‘Do not work where there is no money’ and ‘Get your fee while the patient is in pain’. Truly, they think it is beneath them to help the poor if they cannot pay” John of Salisbury, about 1150 Doctors beliefs Doctors believed that the body was made up of the four elements: yellow bile, phlegm, black bile and blood. These elements were known as ‘humours’. It was thought that if these humours were out of balance then the person would become ill.
Consulting the heavens
Astrology played a major role in medieval medicine. Doctors believed that astrology showed them the best time to cure someone, and what the cure should be. They also believed that certain weaknesses were associated with particular star signs. For example, Aries people were believed to have problems with their heads; Leos to have weak hearts and Pisces to have problems with their feet. |
Medieval Cures for illnesses
Blood letting
Bleeding a patient was common during the Middle Ages. This was done using leeches to suck blood from the body or by ‘cupping’, where the doctor actually cut the patient and drained some of the blood away. Bleeding was believed to regain the balance in a person’s humours.
Purges
Doctors also used ‘purges’ to cure people. Purges were mixtures of herbs which, when eaten, caused vomiting and diarrhoea. Doctors believed this was a way to bring back balance to a person’s humours. Today purges are called ‘laxatives’. Warning: The video below is a little bit gory in parts but that's how medieval medicine was!
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