Diagnostic techniques Examining bodily fluids and stool is the common medieval diagnositic techniques.

■Urine uroscopy (examining the appearance of urine)

■Blood ● the flow and pressure of the blood ● examining the texture of blood

■Stool

medical treatments curing ill and in attempting to prevent illnesses ■diet diet was an important part of medieval medicine. ●the physician often reviewed the patient’s diet when assessing his or her health. ●the physician prescribed a dietary regimen designed to restore or maintain a healthy balance of humors.

●treat colic and some other gastrointestinal problems, the physicians use warm and dry qualities under the humoral theory such as dill and the meat of roosters.

■bleeding

●bleeding is the medical practice most commonly associated with health care in the middle ages

●Venesection or phlebotomy

●Cupping was an alternative technique for bleeding.

●that the balance of bodily humors could be adjusted and corrected by drawing off small quantities of blood that contained excessively high levels of humors.

●Some physicians used astrological charts and astronomical calendars to further guide their choice of veins and the time for the bleeding.

●The various signs of the zodiac governed specific parts of the human body.

●the health of a patient was directly affected by the constellations.

Cautery Cautery

CauteryCautery: : A chemical agent or a heated instrument is used to buA chemical agent or a heated instrument is used to burn out diseased or severely damaged tissue and then srn out diseased or severely damaged tissue and then sear the wound shut. ear the wound shut.

Cautery, like bleeding, was used to treat or prevent ilCautery, like bleeding, was used to treat or prevent illness by correcting humoral imbalance.lness by correcting humoral imbalance.

This use of cautery was not created in the middle ages.This use of cautery was not created in the middle ages.

The practice of cautery was not limited to Europe. The practice of cautery was not limited to Europe.

Surgery and Wound Care Surgery and Wound Care Surgery was the riskiest form of treatment. Surgery was the riskiest form of treatment. Medieval surgeons undertook a surprising period of oMedieval surgeons undertook a surprising period of o

perations.perations. Ex: removed nasal polypsEx: removed nasal polyps excised hemorrhoidsexcised hemorrhoids treated herniastreated hernias set broken bonesset broken bones amputated severely damaged limbsamputated severely damaged limbs restored dislocated shoulder and jaws restored dislocated shoulder and jaws

Surgery and Wound Care Surgery and Wound Care

The evidence of human bones excavated froThe evidence of human bones excavated from 14th and 15th century battle. m 14th and 15th century battle.

Some warriors had sustained grave injuries iSome warriors had sustained grave injuries in previous battle. And medical surgeons dispn previous battle. And medical surgeons displayed amazing skills and were often successflayed amazing skills and were often successful in their operation. ul in their operation.

Surgical Tool Surgical Tool

Many of instrument used by medical surgeon rMany of instrument used by medical surgeon remain unchanged for centuries. emain unchanged for centuries.

Ex: hacksawsEx: hacksaws

forcepsforceps

knivesknives

needleneedle

cannulaecannulae

Surgical ToolSurgical Tool

Some tool have fallen out of use today. Some tool have fallen out of use today.

Ex: Irons for performing cauteryEx: Irons for performing cautery

Mallets, ChiselsMallets, Chisels

Small knives for bleeding Small knives for bleeding

Anesthesia Anesthesia

Local anesthetics seem to have been complLocal anesthetics seem to have been completely unknown.etely unknown.

Medival surgeons relied on general anesthesia.Medival surgeons relied on general anesthesia. Patients who were unlucky remained consciouPatients who were unlucky remained consciou

s during their operations.s during their operations. More fortunate patients drank or inhaled anestMore fortunate patients drank or inhaled anest

hetics.hetics.

Anesthesia Anesthesia

The kind of anesthetics: The kind of anesthetics:

1.1. OpiatesOpiates

2.2. Sleep inducing herbs and compoundsSleep inducing herbs and compounds The methods of usingThe methods of using The danger of anesthesiaThe danger of anesthesia

Surgical Techniques and Wound CaSurgical Techniques and Wound Carere

Surgery in the middle age was far more basic aSurgery in the middle age was far more basic and direct. nd direct.

Surgery in the middle age was far more basic aSurgery in the middle age was far more basic and direct. nd direct.

To do this, the medical surgeon used some basTo do this, the medical surgeon used some basic but effective techniques. ic but effective techniques.

Ex: Broken bonesEx: Broken bones Skull fractures Skull fractures The handling of serious woundsThe handling of serious wounds

Surgical Techniques and Wound CaSurgical Techniques and Wound Care re

Laudable pus and Dry healing Laudable pus and Dry healing Laudable pus: Laudable pus:

a wound should produce pus before healing coa wound should produce pus before healing completely. mpletely.

Dry healing: Dry healing: a wound should be cleaned, sealed, and dressea wound should be cleaned, sealed, and dressed with dry bandages. d with dry bandages.

《Medicine》 ■Fabrication—the compounding of plants an other materials into medicines

■Raw Materials—(1) herbs (2) minerals (3) other substances

■ User—(1) unschooled empiric (2) University-trained doctors

■ Medications were often used as part of a course of treatment that involved other practices such as changes in diet, bleeding, or cautery.

The Bonnefont Cloister Herb Garden

Located in the Cloisters a branch of the Metropolitan Museum of Art (in Washington Heights, New York)

Herbs

BasilEchinacea angustifolia

Echinacea pallida

Echinacea purpurea

Lavender

Rosemary

Quince

Herbs and other Vegetable-Based Ingredients

■Herbs and other plant matter were the most common ingredients in medieval medicines.

■Herbs’ Property—inert

■Effectiveness—a mixed blessing for the sick!!

Non-Vegetable Ingredients

■Medieval material medica did include substances more commonly associated with witches’ brews than with prescription medications.

■ (1) nosebleed—pig dung (2) toothaches—raven droppings

■ Expensive non-herbal ingredients ● largely inert and did little if any harm to the patients other than the financial damage of paying their high cost ● Origin—take “powder” as example It supposedly gathered from Egyptian mummies that ware believed to contain rare and exotic materials used in their embalming.

● Medieval prevalent idea—the greater the expense then the greater the efficacy of the medicine.

● Other ingredients were not so harmless—Mercury. Fortunately, these ingredients were usually available only to the wealthy.

Applying Medications

■Medicines were typically made into liquid or solid forms that the patient drank or ate.

●Palatable—they were usually sweetened with honey or sugar.

●Some medicinal preparations appear to have contained nothing except sweeteners and flavorings.

■Medicinal compounds were administered in a number of ways even as they are today.

●Topically—ointments for skin conditions

●Being ground into powders and inhaled either directly in powdered form or after being dissolved into water and heated into steam—Anesthesia.

●Fumigation—counteract the noxious vapors of the plague —have the patient inhale smoke

●Enemas and Suppositories

《Magic and Prayer》

The distinction between magic and orthodox Christian practices was often blurry to people in the Middle Ages.

Magic

■Incantations and charms

■incantations—in conjunction with other treatments

●have survived in written form were gibberish

●include words that appear to be references to persons and concepts associated with Christianity

●may have been distorted over time by the problems of oral transmission in societies that were largely illiterate

●Alternatively, the presence of these words may reflect an attempt to Christianize pre-Christian religious practices.

■Charms—reflect a fusion of pre-Christian and Christian practices.

●wear brooches and pin inscribed with phrases

●These phrases were often in the form of invocation of divine from a god or goddess.

●Survive even after Christianity became the predominant religion in Europe replace the names of pagan gods and goddesses with those of Christ and the saints.

●generate some supernatural power for healing or for warding off illness

Prayer and Miracle

■ The Middle Ages is often referred to as the Age of Faith.

■ Turning to religion is a common reaction to personal crises.

■the merits of praying

●at any time

●anywhere

●require no formal training

●cost nothing

●does no harm to the patient

■Prayer supplemented the efforts of the surgeon or physician.

■The prayers were usually directed to a particular saint and asked the saint to intercede with God.

■Patron Saints—(1) St. Apolloniatoothaches (2) St. Lucyeye problems

■Saints’ relics—St. Thomas a Becket. ● Pilgrimage ● Personal hardship ● Financial sacrifices — wax images — crutches