Medieval medicine c1250–c1500
What people thought caused disease
Medieval doctors had four main theories — the dominant being Galen's Theory of the Four Humours (blood, phlegm, yellow bile, black bile). Disease was an imbalance, treated by bloodletting, purging, sweating, or prescribing the Theory of Opposites (a hot/dry illness needs cold/wet remedies).
| Cause believed | Source |
|---|---|
| Imbalance of the four humours | Hippocrates / Galen, taught in universities |
| Punishment from God | The Church — sin caused disease |
| Bad air ("miasma") | Persisted into 19th century |
| Astrology / movement of planets | Especially during plague |
| Witchcraft / supernatural | Particularly in rural villages |
How they treated disease
- Bloodletting by leech or cup — to "rebalance" humours
- Purging with emetics or laxatives — same logic
- Herbal remedies from "Wise Women" — surprisingly effective for some conditions (willow bark = aspirin)
- Prayer, pilgrimage, flagellation — Church-sanctioned
- Surgery — barber-surgeons (low status); limited to amputation, cauterisation; no anaesthetic, no antiseptic, ~50% died of shock or infection
Care provision
Hospitals existed but mostly run by the Church for "care, not cure" — provided rest, food, prayer. The poor relied on family + the local apothecary. Physicians were rare and expensive (university trained, fees beyond most).
The Black Death 1348–49
Killed ~40% of England's population. Causes blamed: God's punishment, bad air, Jews poisoning wells, planetary alignment. No-one knew it was bacterial (Yersinia pestis, fleas on rats).
Treatments: praying, fleeing, lighting fires (smoke clears miasma), holding posies of herbs to nose. Prevention attempts: quarantine of ships, leaving towns, town-cleansing orders. None worked because the cause was unknown.
⚠Common mistakes— Common mistakes (Edexcel examiner traps)
- Thinking medieval doctors were stupid — they were rational given their assumptions about humours and miasma. The mistake is the framework, not the logic.
- Forgetting the Church's dominant role — controlled universities, hospitals, what could be questioned about Galen.
- Confusing "bloodletting" with random violence — it followed strict humoural logic.
- Underestimating Wise Women — their herbal knowledge was empirical and often correct.
AI-generated · claude-opus-4-7 · v3-edexcel-history