Medicine

**__Medieval Medicine__ ** by: Jenny Morton
 * T he remains of a medieval hospital → **

**As population in medival towns increased their hygen went down giving them a number of health problems. But a lot of medical knowledge was gained during these times to. A lot of medieval medicine comes from Greek teachings. One of the Greek teachings they used was called the Hippocratic theory. The Hippocratic theory is belief in the balance of the four humours; black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood. Much of this had to do with fear and superstition. The hippocratic theory was not their only medical belief though; they had many different opinions towards illness and medicine. They believed illness was a punishment from God because of sins in the soul, they believed disease was spread through bad odors. They viewed the body as part of the universe (concept from the Greeks and the Romans).

They had many different forms of healing and curing to. Some of those cures may be plants, herbs, or going on a pilgrimage and sometimes through prayer. A pilgrimage is a long journey to a sacred place of your religion to show your devotion. The ill could be treated by physicians, monks, or folk healers. Medieval times also had complicated surgeries like brain surgeries or cataract removals (cataract- opacity of the lens or capsule of the eye, causing impairment of vision or blindness); these often failed but could be very surprisingly successful. One of their great medical inventions still frequently being used today is the hospital. They were lead by a monastic (monastic- of, relating to characteristics of munks or nuns in their way of life, or religious obligations) order known as the Knights Hospitaller; has fighting experience that made them good at treating many types of injuries.

Some of the most common diseases in the middle ages: dysentery, epilepsy, influenza, diphtheria, scurvy, typhoid, smallpox, scabies, impetigo, leprosy, pneumonia, stroke, heart attack, scrofula, and one of the most well known diseases killing thousands of people in the Middle Ages the Black Death

The Black Death killed an estimated 1.5 million people out of 4 million people between 1348 and 1350. The people had no medical knowledge of a cure and many people were confused and scared of this new disease. The Black Death is the "nickname" given to the disease called the bubonic plague. This plague hit those 6 more times by the end of the century. It was caused by fleas carried by rats that were common in towns and cities. When the fleas bit people the disease was quickly spread into them. The weaker you were the more likely it was that you would die quickly. Nearly all victims of this disease died within 3 days.**

Sources: [] http://www.mostly-medieval.com/explore/med.htm http://www.medieval-spell.com/Medieval-Medicine.html