Superstition and Theories of Disease in Medieval Medicine
Medieval medicine had significant differences compared to modern treatments. In the past, humanity did not have much knowledge—people believed in evil spirits as the supernatural causes of illnesses. The main treatments involved bleeding and the use of incense, medicinal herbs, leeches, and larvae to purify the blood (Tait, 2023). Superstitions also played an essential role in a unique understanding of medical treatment.
Common Treatments, Remedies, and Healing Practices
At the same time, the rise of Galenic medicine has substantially contributed to the medieval perception of medicine. It addressed the teachings of Hippocrates, who had identified three health locations, including the body’s solid parts, humors, and dynamic spirits (Demaitre, 2013). Humors aimed to maintain physical and mental health; they consisted of blood, mucus, and black and yellow bile. An example is fever when the patient was thought to have high blood pressure.
Moreover, mucus caused their apathy, the excess of black bile caused depression, and the yellow bile caused aggression. Perceiving human health as natural, Hippocrates defined the etiological categories of its distortion, including the patient’s condition, lifestyle, pestilential air, or miasma (Demaitre, 2013). While people’s technological capacities were considerably limited, through observation, they aimed to explain the causes of diseases and improve treatment.
The Black Death and Its Influence on Medical Knowledge
In medieval Europe, the Black Death turned out to be a devastating pandemic. Widespread death from the plague led to a demand for medical care (Horrox, 1994). However, the system used to understand the impact of the environment on individuals is still relevant, as modern medicine considers environmental factors. For instance, it defines the determinants of health as the system of socioeconomic and environmental factors that affect people’s health.
Limitations, Challenges, and Social Factors in Healthcare
During the Black Death, it was believed that the pandemic was due to the prevalence of black bile. However, irrationality among people spread fear and panic and unfounded accusations of innocence as a source of disease. Despite the limitations, medicine at that time laid the foundations for the development of modern practices. For example, many medicinal plants are still used today, and symptom surveillance has become the basis for clinical medicine.
Contributions of Medieval Medicine to Modern Practices
In conclusion, modern medicine is a consequence of the right treatments explored by previous generations. Humanity has experienced pandemics and discovered new diseases and medicines that have made it possible to achieve the level of medicine now available. In the past, medics used plant components, spells, amulets, and tinctures to find the right path to healing patients.
References
Demaitre, Luke. 2013. Medieval Medicine: The Art of Healing, from Head to Toe: The Art of Healing, from Head to Toe. Santa Barbara, CA: Praeger.
Horrox, Rosemary. 1994. The Black Death. Edited by Rosemary Horrox. Manchester, England: Manchester University Press.
Tait, Amelia. 2023. “Medieval Medicine: The Return to Maggots and Leeches to Treat Ailments.” The Guardian, Web.