Medieval+Health+and+Medicine

=__Medieval Health and Medicine__=

Health Care in the Middle Ages was very different from the kind of health care we have today. It was mostly different for obvious reasons, such as our advancements in technology and greater understanding for how to diagnose illnesses or injuries. There also many things that were different that most people don't know about.

Common Illnesses and Procedures:

General Illnesses- For general illnesses, people were taught to go to a shrine of God and pray for hours until the pain or sickness went away. TD > Middle Ages Medicine to treat the Black Death > The Black Death held a massive mortality rate of between 30 and 40%. Victims had no idea what had caused the disease. And neither did the doctors in the Middle Ages. The Black Death was treated by lancing the buboes and applying a warm poultice of butter, onion and garlic. Various other remedies were tried including arsenic, lily root and even dried toad. During a later outbreak of this terrible plague, during the Elizabethan era, substances such as tobacco brought from the New World were also used in experiments to treat the disease. > >  Medieval Medicine to treat Headache and Aching joints > > Head Pains were treated with sweet-smelling herbs such as rose, lavender, sage, and bay. A mixture of henbane and hemlock were applied to aching joints. Coriander was used to reduce a fever. > > Middle Ages Medicine to treat Stomach Pains and Sickness > Stomach pains and sickness were treated with wormwood, mint, and balm. > >  Middle Ages Medicine to treat Lung Problems > > Lung problems were given the medical treatment of a medicine made of liquorice and comfrey. Horehound cough syrups and drinks were prescribed for chesty and head-colds and coughs. > > Middle Ages Medicine to treat Wounds > Wounds were cleaned and vinegar was widely used as a cleansing agent as it was believed that it would kill disease. Mint was also used in treating venom and wounds. Myrrh was used as an antiseptic on wounds. Yarrow, or Achillea was used to treat headaches and wounds, especially battle wounds. DD "Medicine in the Middle Ages." //Middle Ages//. Web. 01 Nov. 2011. .
 * Evil spirits in the head- Required 'trepanning', which means a hole could be cut into a person's head to let the spirits out. Sometimes, they even cut into the brain.
 * Blood Letting- Involved blood being let out of the body in one specific spot, usually involved using leeches or even dirty knives.
 * Toothaches- People were told to light a candle close to the hurt tooth so the worms that were gnawing on the tooth would fall off.
 * Although medicine and surgery were related, medieval practitioners drew a distinct line between them. Generally, physicians treated problems inside the body, and surgeons dealt with wounds, fractures, dislocations, urinary problems, amputations, skin diseases, and syphilis. They also bled patients when directed by physicians. Many of today's surgeons can trace the origins of their specialties to the teeth-pullers, bone-setters, oculists, and midwives of the middle ages.
 * Medicine in the Middle Ages
 * Middle Ages Medicine was extremely basic in an era when terrible illnesses such as the [|Black Death] were killing nearly one third of the population. Medicine was limited. Physicians had no idea what caused the terrible illnesses and diseases. The Catholic Church believed that illnesses were a punishment from God for sinful behaviour. Letting blood was conducted by cupping or leeches. There were no Antibiotics during the Middle Ages and it was almost impossible to cure illness and diseases without them. Medicines in the Middle Ages were made from herbs, spices and resins. The medicine was applied in drinks, pills, washes, baths, rubs, poultices, purges and ointments. The Medicine used to treat some specific illnesses are described below. AS

"Medieval Medicine." //MaggieTron//. Web. 01 Nov. 2011. .

"Medieval Medicine - Medieval-Period.com." //Medieval Period - Castles, Weapons, Torture Devices, and History//. Web. 01 Nov. 2011. .