History: Medicine: Renaissance Period (1500-1700) – Flashcards
Unlock all answers in this set
Unlock answersquestion
Definition of the 'Medical Renaissance'
answer
A period of new ideas influencing medicine due to a decline in the power of the church and increasing scientific discoveries.
question
Renaissance continuity vs change?
answer
Continuity= Four Humours and treatment of opposites. Galen's writings studied Change= Emergence of science, less mystic. Used observation and experiments. New books found stressing importance of anatomy and dissections, began to question Galen's ideas Catholic influence reduced as Protestant Reformation began to spread 1517, no longer had as much control over medical teaching but still important
question
Two supernatural explanations for the cause of disease which remained popular during epidemics
answer
God's punishment for sin Astrology
question
One rational explanation for the cause of disease which remained popular despite being rejected by physicians by 1700
answer
Four Humours Theory
question
Theory about the cause of disease put forward by Thomas Sydenham (an English doctor)
answer
Disease is caused by factors external to (outside of) the body Disease is separate to the patient, rather than being caused by something the patient has done. Diseases can be organised into different groups (eg. measles and scarlet fever were identified as separate diseases by Sydenham) Made detailed observations and kept records of symptoms Emphasised diagnosis, not prognosis (predictions)
question
How did the war affect medicine?
answer
Saw new weapons like cannons and guns, so had to quickly find new treatments
question
What happened in the 1530s?
answer
Dissolution of the monastries, so led to the closure of many hospitals, so bad for people's health.
question
What replaced the old hospitals?
answer
Gradually replaced by free hospitals by charitable donations, new hospitals had trained physicians who were more focused on getting better from illness.
question
Name of Sydenham's book
answer
Observationes medicae (1676) Helped doctors use as textbook for 200 years after, descriptions of gout helped them to diagnose patients more easily.
question
Which Dutch scientist first observed 'animalcules' (bacteria) using a more powerful microscope
answer
Antony van Leeuwenhoek
question
Four advantages of the printing press, when invented
answer
1440 Information could be spread more accurately and quickly, debated more, also translated and spread across countries Book copying was taken out of the hands of the Church, so ideas could now be published which the Church may have disapproved of. Question existing ideas, such as Galen's, 600 copies printed until 1600, so many different versions so unclear and less reliable Students could have own textbooks
question
When was the Royal Society set up
answer
1660
question
Two aims of the Royal Society
answer
To promote and carry out scientific experiments To share scientific knowledge
question
Which King supported the Royal Society
answer
Charles II, gave very high status
question
Name of the scientific journal published by the Royal Society
answer
Philosophical transactions, more could read about inventions and discoveries
question
Which member of the Royal Society confirmed Leeuwenhoek's observations of 'animalcules'
answer
Robert Hooke, showing first drawings of a flea under a microscope
question
Why was there still little change in the Renaissance despite the printing press and Royal Society?
answer
Most people couldn't read or write, so only impact small part of society.
question
Two rational treatments for restoring the balance of the humours continued from the Middle Ages
answer
Blood-letting Purging Focused more on reading books than treating patients
question
What care was still popular?
answer
Wise women, herbal remedies within community Use medical or recipe books passed down in families
question
Two ways in which the use of herbal remedies changed during the Medical Renaissance
answer
Remedies were chosen for their colour or shape eg. yellow herbs like saffron to treat jaundice (an illness which turns the skin yellow) Remedies appeared from other countries like the New World eg. Sydenham used cinchona bark from Peru to treat malaria
question
Two new rational treatments for disease
answer
Transference-the belief that an illness could be transferred to something else eg. rubbing warts with an onion Iatrochemistry - looking for chemical cures for disease eg. use of mercury to treat syphilis
question
Which professionals continued to give medical care during the Medical Renaissance
answer
Physicians, apothecaries and surgeons (physicians still very expensive so used less)
question
What superstitious theories continued?
answer
King's touch could cure scrofula (skin disease), thousands visited King Charles 1 with hope of cure.
question
Two changes to surgeons and apothecaries during the Medical Renaissance
answer
They were better educated They had to have a licence to carry out their work
question
Two reasons why it was still difficult for physicians to get practical experience during their training
answer
Dissection was legalised, but it was difficult to get fresh corpses Few universities had an anatomy theatre for dissecting bodies
question
Why were physicians able to access a greater variety of books on topics like anatomy and iatrochemistry
answer
More books available due to the use of the printing press
question
Name of the most famous anatomist during the Medical Renaissance
answer
Andreas Vesalius
question
What did Vesalius do?
answer
Performed dissections on criminals who had been executed to study human anatomy. Wrote books using detailed diagrams about his findings.
question
Name of the most famous book about anatomy by Vesalius
answer
'On the fabric of the human body' (1543)
question
How many mistakes did Vesalius find in the work of Galen on anatomy
answer
Over 300
question
What was the long-term impact of Vesalius
answer
Proved Galen could be wrong (e.g. holes in the septum that blood can pass through is wrong) Encouraged doctors to carry out human dissections rather than just relying upon old texts, used more in medical training
question
Why did Vesalius not have an immediate impact?
answer
Not immediate on diagnosis and treatment, yet by producing description of anatomy was essential first step.
question
Why were hospitals still basic?
answer
-For sick or 'deserving poor' may have to work in them, not just treated -Those with incurable or infectious diseases often not let in -Still focused on moral and spiritual education, yet health and sickness becoming more of a priority
question
Two features of 16th century hospitals
answer
Visits from physicians to diagnose and prescribe treatments Medication provided as many had pharmacies
question
Which event led to the closure of many hospitals in the 16th century
answer
Dissolution (closure) of the monasteries ( as many monasteries (the church) had run hospitals) 1536-41
question
Name of new hospitals set up for patients with infectious diseases like plague or pox
answer
Pest houses
question
Who still cared for most sick people
answer
Women in the home
question
Two rational methods for preventing disease which continued from the Middle Ages
answer
Following the Regimen Sanitatis Cleanliness of the home and body
question
Four new rational methods for preventing disease from the Medical Renaissance
answer
Avoid bathing in public bathhouses as they were linked to the spread of syphilis Practice moderation in all things eg. avoiding laziness/avoiding too much alcohol Avoid certain weather conditions linked to the spread of disease Remove sewage and pick up rubbish from the streets to avoid miasma
question
How did Harvey do his work?
answer
Studied animals and humans, he could observe living animal hearts and apply to humans.
question
Four medical discoveries made by William Harvey
answer
He proved that the heart worked like a pump He proved that blood circulates around the body He proved that Galen was wrong about blood being made in the liver and burnt up in the body He proved that Galen was wrong about blood flowing from one side of the heart to the other via invisible pores in the septum
question
Four factors which enabled Harvey to make medical progress
answer
Individuals - Vesalius had already proved that Galen could be wrong Technology - the invention of fire pumps inspired Harvey to look again at how the heart worked The Church - the declining power and influence of the Church allowed Harvey to dissect human bodies Attitudes in society - an interest in enquiry and searching for rational explanations
question
Impact of Harvey upon medicine
answer
Encouraged other doctors and scientists to experiment and challenge old ideas, showed importance of dissection His discoveries gave new map of how the body worked, eventually lead to blood transfusions and complex surgery Knowledge of blood circulation had little impact on treatments because it seemed to have little practical value at the time. Eg. blood-letting continued as a treatment. When blood transfusions tried, rarely successful, blood loss, shock, wrong types. Despite Harvey, medical treatments and techniques still basic
question
Date of the Great Plague
answer
1665
question
How many died during the Great Plague?
answer
Around 20% of population
question
Two supernatural explanations for the cause of the Great Plague
answer
God's punishment for sins Unusual alignment of the planets
question
Two rational explanations for the cause of the Great Plague
answer
Miasma Spread from one infected person to another
question
Three rational methods for treating the plague
answer
Wrap up in a woollen cloth and lay near a fire to sweat out the disease Transference - eg. strap a live chicken to a buboe (a swelling on the body ) to transfer the plague from the buboe to the chicken Herbal remedies
question
Ways to treat the Plague
answer
-Wearing lucky charms or amulets -Prayers and fasting -Remedies with ingredients like dried toad -Bloodletting -Posies of herbs or flowers -Transference (new one)
question
Two examples of advice given by physicians to prevent catching the plague
answer
Carry a pomander (a ball containing perfumed substances) to drive away miasma Special diets eg. either fasting or eating food heavy with garlic
question
Two examples of advice given by local healers to prevent catching the plague
answer
Smoke tobacco Recipes for 'plague water' from apothecaries
question
Features of the costume worn by plague doctors during the Great Plague of 1665
answer
Hooked, birdlike mask (believed birds attracted the disease away from the victim) Sweet smelling substances in the mask Wax coated cloak to prevent pus and blood soaking in
question
Action taken by the government to prevent the spread of the plague
answer
Streets were swept and cleaned Fires burnt on street corners Public meetings, fairs and theatres were closed Cats and dogs were killed Buried corpses in mass graves Searchers were appointed to check houses for plague victims. If a household was infected, the people were taken to the pest house or quarantined inside their house for 28 days. The house was painted with a red cross together with the words 'Lord have mercy on us'. Local Councils, no national government response
