When you hear the word Medieval, what images pop into your head? Perhaps you think of towering castles, dueling knights, and fair maidens. Of course, it was an era far removed from today s doctors and nurses who wear scrubs, such as cheap urbane scrubs. However, understanding medieval medicine can give us a better understanding (and appreciation for) of today s medical world. Here are some highlights of the period:
1. Medieval medicine included a regression in medicine
During this period, knowledge and skills regarding medical matters actually moved backwards! After the Roman Empire collapsed in 476 AD, Europe descended into the Dark Ages. That is where it remained for more than five centuries. Society did not train doctors, and medical knowledge from the ancient Romans and Greeks texts, became irrelevant. Everyday people often used home remedies, and sought medical treatment from their friendly neighborhood wise men.
2. Physicians were again trained starting in the 1000s
Doctors obtained medical knowledge through revisiting the writings of the Greeks Hippocrates and Galen, which the Catholic Church had been hoarding for centuries. Also, doctors obtained knowledge through the Muslim world, where the medical field had thrived. By the 1200s, the church had established various medical schools and universities, while all TRUE doctors required formal instruction.
3. Doctors revisited the four humours theory
At this time, doctors did not have the knowledge that today s medical professionals have, regarding bacteria. Thus, a widespread belief was that God punished or tested people, through diseases.
Today, medical staff can take steps to curb the spread of infectious bacteria, such as through sterilizing instruments and wearing hygienic scrubs. However, during this juncture in medieval times, doctors reverted to the Hippocrates belief that a balance of the four humours (liquids) in people, resulted in good health.
4. Galen was king through much of the Middle Ages
During this period, many considered the works of Galen (a Greek in ancient Rome) to be flawless. Galen had developed several of the theories that Hippocrates had established. Medical schools and universities often taught his theories as factual, although they were frequently incorrect (they were based on the dissection of animals). At this time, the dissection of humans was quite limited, and physicians could only conduct them to support Galen s theories! That fact alone shows the tremendous influence that Galen s works had on doctors, during the Middle Ages.
5. Disease was rampant
Even though the Middle Ages resulted in Europe revisiting the formal training for physicians, the Black Death nonetheless wiped out up to half of the entire population of Europe! Unfortunately, medicine had simply not developed enough, to adequately deal with the situation. Society valued explanations related to spirituality, much more than those of doctors.
While the Middle Ages certainly had their dark moments and practices, they resulted in the rebirth of formal training for physicians. This era was ultimately valuable in the eventual discovery of bacteria and the link of bacteria to disease. Thanks to innovations such as scrubs, the Dark Ages will stay in the dark past!
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