Medieval Medical

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Medieval Medical History
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5th to 16th Century

• No progress was made in medical knowledge or
  practice
• Blend of Pagan magic and herbalism

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• Anglo Saxons in Britain believed that illness was
  caused by nine venoms
• Worms
• Elves
• Witches
• Illness treated
• with charms and incantations

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• In the 6th century, epidemics of smallpox,
  dysentery, typhus and plague were prevalent due
  to filth and total absence of sanitation.

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• The Church didnt foster medical science
• 391 AD Religious fanatic mob burned the great
  library in Alexandria

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• The use of exorcisms and holy relics were to cure
  the sick. The belief that illness was due to
  punishment for sins. Priests again became healers

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Arabs Medical Knowledge

• Moslem Arab Empire extended from Spain to India
• Medicine began a revival due to Arabs curiosity
• Learned much about epidemics
• Four major teaching centers

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• The Arabs major medical contribution was
  chemistry and pharmacology.
• Rhazes The Arab Hippocrates based diagnosis of
  disease upon observation .
• Wrote over 150 books/ medical encyclopedia
• His major contribution was distinguishing
  smallpox and measles.

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• Rhazes
• (ad 865- c.925)
• was credited with using animal gut sutures.

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• The major surgical instrument was the cautery,
  which was a red hot iron used to burn out poison.
  This was VERY painful, disfiguring and often
  fatal

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• By 850 AD and outstanding medical school was in
  Salerno. By the 12th century it had highly
  organized curriculum upon which students were
  examined and issued degrees to become the first
  doctors

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• Medieval European surgeons practice was limited
  to nobility, high clergy and wealthy merchants.
  Other patients were treated by ignorant
  barber/surgeons.

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• Typhus was flourishing due to the custom of
  wearing the same underclothing which was infested
  with fleas.
• Tuberculosis flourished due to poverty and food
  shortages.

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• Two of the greatest Medieval diseases were
  leprosy and bubonic plague, probably brought by
  the Roman soldiers. Leprosy was one of the few
  diseases recognized as being a result of sins
  against God.

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• The Black Death is bubonic plague. It killed
  many lepers. Black death was a term used to
  describe the dark mottle appearance of the corpse
  due to hemorrhages beneath the skin.
• It was caused by a bacillus which grew in fleas
  of infected black rats. The disease was
  devastating.

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• Signs and Symptoms of bubonic plague were
• Headache, shivering, vomiting, abdominal pain,
  and delirium.
• Boils on the joints.
• If left untreated death could occur in 5 days

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• Pneumonic Plague affected the lungs and caused
  death in 3 days.
• Septicemic Plague which was caused by the direct
  injection of the bacillus into the bloodstream by
  infected fleas. Death occurred in as little as 24
  hours.

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• Estimated that 1/3 of Europes population died
  from Bubonic Plague
• There were 4 additional outbreaks before the end
  of the 14th century
• Black death was enough to motivate additional
  learning in medicine