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The practice of medicine was still based on the ideas of the ancient Greeks -

Greek physician Hippocrates is known for being the forefather of medicine. His basic theory was that there were four humors in the human body: black bile, yellow bile, blood, and phlegm. And each humor had different qualities, namely: hot, cold, wet, and dry.

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The practice of medicine was still based on the ideas of the ancient Greeks -

The four humors also reflected natural elements —fire, water, earth, and air—as well as the four seasons. The role of medicine was essentially to balance these humors, as an imbalance would cause disease. In medieval times, this belief was still present.

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Pagan medical practices ruled Europe -

Pagan and folk remedies, mostly based on medicinal plants, were common across Europe. Christianity went on to absorb many of these practices when it spread across the continent.

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Christian monks were the new doctors -

Monasteries became centers of study and knowledge, where medicinal plants were grown and liquors were brewed. Caring for the sick was an essential part of Christian charity.

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Universal health care was the norm -

Monasteries and abbeys would welcome sick people from all walks of life. The practice derived from ancient Greek and Roman clinics.

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Public health was taken into account -

By then, isolation and quarantines were common practice, with people suffering from certain diseases (e.g. leprosy) being isolated from the general community.

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Galen -

Second-century Greek surgeon and philosopher Galen heavily influenced medicinal practice in medieval times. However, because dissection of humans was not allowed, all of his knowledge and theories about human anatomy were based on animals.

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Galen connected the soul to the heart -

Galen believed the heart was red because the soul, which was the source of all emotion, resided in it. Galen’s theory evolved to believe the soul was divided into three parts: the rational, which resided in the brain; the spiritual, which resided in the heart; and the soul that controlled bodily functions, which resided in the liver.

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Surgeons in the Middle Ages -

Galen was also an accomplished surgeon and most medieval surgeons used his surviving texts as guides. Surgery didn’t begin to be taught formally until the 12th century, however.

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Surgeons in the Middle Ages -

Today, it might surprise us to learn that these medically-trained surgeons were pretty low in the medical profession hierarchy. Nonetheless, they were still above barber surgeons, who did simpler tasks such as stitching up wounds and bloodletting.

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Italy was at the forefront of surgeon training -

In the 12th and 13th centuries, the University of Padua evolved its training to include dissections of cadavers and autopsies. Most texts were written in Latin, meaning that students were literate in the language.

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Guy de Chauliac wrote an important text -

Frenchman Guy de Chauliac wrote one of the most important texts on the practice of surgery. His view was surprisingly holistic, and he advocated for surgery to be a last resort, with food, hydration and drugs being a priority in the treatment protocol.

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English law didn’t allow surgeons to practice as they pleased -

Surgeons could stitch up wounds, but, for instance, performing surgery to remove an arrowhead would not be allowed.

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Superstitions still ruled -

Superstitions ruled in medieval times, with many maladies being attributed to the Devil or as a punishment from God. A bizarre condition Anglo-Saxon doctors came across was known as elf-shot.

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Elf-shot -

This happened when victims were supposedly shot with invisible arrows by invisible elves. Symptoms such as headaches and joint pain were often attributed to elf-shot. The application of feverfew leaf paste (because the leaves are arrow-shaped) was often a proposed cure. As for prevention, a visible charm was recommended to deter the elves.

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Doctrine of Signatures -

Christians followed the herbalism text Doctrine of Signatures to make their medicines. It was believed that plants had clues as to what they could treat. E.g. the porous leaves of St. John’s Wort was good for rashes.

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Medical licenses emerged in the Middle Ages -

Licenses to practice medicine emerged in medieval times. Most medical schools (which took five years to complete) only accepted students with a previous master of arts degree, and with good knowledge of Latin and Greek.

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Wounds were common -

Vinegar or brine were commonly used to clean up wounds. Those who were wealthy might have had access to myrrh instead. Yarrow was also used to treat wounds, but in the end, without proper sanitation and antibiotics, many would end up infected, leading to severe consequences such as gangrene and even death.

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The medical hierarchy took form in the Middle Ages -

Physicians were at the top of the ladder, followed by surgeons, barber surgeons, barbers, and apothecaries (who would make and dispense medicines). Midwives were not considered to be medical practitioners, and there were no nurses back then.

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Doctors would come to people -

Wealthy people, that is. Doctors would be called in when someone was sick or injured. There was no such thing as preventative medicine.

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Medical examination -

Examinations would usually involve measuring the pulse, checking body temperature for signs of fever, and examination of the patient’s urine, for color, smell…and taste.

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Treatment of burns evolved during medieval times -

Like wounds, burns were also pretty common in the Middle Ages. Doctors would often apply ointments and salves to keep the skin moist. These were often made with vinegar, herbal oils, rose oil, eggs, and opium.

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Amputations were performed -

Many injured and infected limbs ended up being amputated. These would be performed as quickly as possible to minimize blood loss. For broken limbs, casts were often made using a mixture of eggs and flour. They’d be hard enough to keep the limb in place, but not strong enough to bear the person’s weight.

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Medical knowledge from the Arab world spread across Europe -

During the Crusades, soldiers and pilgrims brought a lot of medical knowledge to Europe from the Muslim world.

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Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi -

Persian physician Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi not only was the first to write about the subject of immunology, but he is also credited with developing the discipline of pediatrics, with his book ‘The Diseases of Children.’ He was also the first physician to recognize fever as a defense mechanism in the presence of infection.

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Abu al-Husayn ibn Sina -

Islamic physician and philosopher Abu al-Husayn ibn Sina, who became known in Europe as Avicenna, is the author of the Canon of Medicine. The text contains information on the preparation and testing of medicines. He advocated purity of ingredients and what later became known as clinical trials.

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Ibn al-Nafis -

Islamic polymath Ibn al-Nafis is known for describing the circulation of blood in the human body, through the heart and lungs, contradicting Galen’s theory that blood flowed from the liver.

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Astrology was also a big part of medieval medical practice -

Celestial bodies were associated with parts of the body (e.g. the sun was associated with the heart). Zodiac signs also influenced the diagnosis, depending where the moon was when symptoms appeared.

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Mental health issues were left for God to treat -

Mental illness was thought of as a manifestation of evil, so it would be treated as such, with the likes of prayers and exorcisms.

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Surgeons started treating mental issues -

Later, a procedure that involved drilling a hole in the skull, known as trepanning, would also be performed by surgeons to treat diseases of the brain. Other barbaric methods were also developed and used.

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Dentistry -

Dentatores, as medieval dentists were called back then, would resort to the extraction of teeth. Again, the Arab world shed new light in the treatment of cavities, where the procedure was to file the decay and fill the tooth.

Sources: (History Collection) (Medical News Today) (Wired)

See also: What was the average diet like in medieval Europe?

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