Medieval Medicine

Shaan Sarode Ms. Davis English IV – Per. 3 20 October 2010 Impact of Medieval Medicine Imagine when a friend gets sick or catches a “bug”, they may have two different reactions to it. The first is the realistic approach, which re-visits their recent actions and pinpoints the cause of the symptoms.

The other is the non-realistic, which tends to blame supernatural causes. People during the medieval times almost always blamed the supernatural as the cause of these diseases. There were also many limitations in the amount of scientific advancement because of the church.In modern days, we may take for granted the achievements that have been made over the centuries, but these break-troughs could not have been realized, without the foundation and work of scientists during the medieval time. Medieval medicine affected all parts of life in those times, from scientific to social, and in positive and negative ways. Medieval medicine had too many influences from the church which therefore hindered its progress. Most of the treatments and beliefs in folk medicine were mystical or magical, and had its basis in sources that were not agreed upon in the Christian faith.

Remedies included spells and incantations, but later these had to be replaced with Christian prayers or devotions. The church taught that diseases or ailments were sent by God as a punishment for wrong doing, so many people resisted the explanations of illness. Therefore advancement in medicine was generally frowned upon. The main setback was that, “scholarship fell into the religious sphere, and clerics were more interested in curing the soul than the body. ” (Terry 1)As sanitation and hygiene worsened with the increasing population in England and other parts of Europe, diseases were rampant. “Medieval Europe did not have an adequate health system. ” (Odunsi 5) Edward the III complained to the Lord Mayor of London: “Cause the human faeces and other filth lying in the streets and lanes in the city to be removed with all speed to places far distant, so that no greater cause of mortality may arise from such smells.

” (Trueman 1) Some people blamed the stench of waste to cause illnesses.Astronomers blamed the planets and their un-alignment. Everyone had their own opinions on the matter as there wasn’t any hard evidence of the actual cause. Another dilemma to the people was the matter of how the diseases spread. As most of the population consisted of farmers in those times, they had little or no, formal education. So when someone acquired a disease, they went to their local physician, which was an all-around doctor. Physicians were scarce, but seen as skilled people because of their ‘knowledge.

In reality, their work was based on a very poor knowledge of the human anatomy. (Trueman 3) The affect of medical studies, cures, and its problems left society vulnerable to, in fact more diseases. As people were unaware of the causes and cures, they relied on local physicians who weren’t exactly well versed. This may in turn result in a misdiagnosis and the patient ending up more ill or dead. This dilemma pushed people to seek their own remedies. The most interesting part of medicine in the medieval times was the remedy and curing.These varied throughout society depending on your background, wealth, and religiousness.

Some, more religiously bound “doctors told patients that a pilgrimage to a holy shrine to show your love of God would cure them of illnesses especially if they had some holy water sold at the place of pilgrimage. ” (Truman 1) As one can see, any treatment that you thought was right could have worked better than another, as cures were based on more of a philosophical look rather than with scientific back-up.Some weird cures were to hold a candle close to your teeth to burn of the worms on the teeth. Another was to cut a hole in someone’s skull to let out bad spirits, which was supposed to cure their mental disease. All in all, medieval medicine had impacts on society, but was mainly influenced by the thinking and ideas of the time. Works Cited Odunsi, Yolonda. “Health: What was it really like to live in the middle ages? ” Washington, D.

C. : Annenberg Media, 1997. Web.

Calculate the price
Make an order in advance and get the best price
Pages (550 words)
$0.00
*Price with a welcome 15% discount applied.
Pro tip: If you want to save more money and pay the lowest price, you need to set a more extended deadline.
We know how difficult it is to be a student these days. That's why our prices are one of the most affordable on the market, and there are no hidden fees.

Instead, we offer bonuses, discounts, and free services to make your experience outstanding.
How it works
Receive a 100% original paper that will pass Turnitin from a top essay writing service
step 1
Upload your instructions
Fill out the order form and provide paper details. You can even attach screenshots or add additional instructions later. If something is not clear or missing, the writer will contact you for clarification.
Pro service tips
How to get the most out of your experience with MyStudyWriters
One writer throughout the entire course
If you like the writer, you can hire them again. Just copy & paste their ID on the order form ("Preferred Writer's ID" field). This way, your vocabulary will be uniform, and the writer will be aware of your needs.
The same paper from different writers
You can order essay or any other work from two different writers to choose the best one or give another version to a friend. This can be done through the add-on "Same paper from another writer."
Copy of sources used by the writer
Our college essay writers work with ScienceDirect and other databases. They can send you articles or materials used in PDF or through screenshots. Just tick the "Copy of sources" field on the order form.
Testimonials
See why 20k+ students have chosen us as their sole writing assistance provider
Check out the latest reviews and opinions submitted by real customers worldwide and make an informed decision.
Nursing
I just need some minor alterations. Thanks.
Customer 452547, February 10th, 2021
Criminal Justice
This has been the greatest help while I am recovering from an illness. Thank your team so much.
Customer 452671, May 2nd, 2021
Business and administrative studies
great job as always
Customer 452773, February 26th, 2023
Nursing
Impressive writing
Customer 452547, February 6th, 2021
Business and administrative studies
excellent job! got an A, thank you
Customer 452773, May 24th, 2023
Business and administrative studies
Thank you
Customer 452773, March 19th, 2023
Human Resources Management (HRM)
excellent
Customer 452773, July 11th, 2023
History
Looks great and appreciate the help.
Customer 452675, April 26th, 2021
Human Resources Management (HRM)
excellent
Customer 452773, June 25th, 2023
Human Resources Management (HRM)
excellent job
Customer 452773, July 17th, 2023
Sociology
THANK YOUUUUU
Customer 452591, March 18th, 2021
Business and administrative studies
always perfect work and always completed early
Customer 452773, February 21st, 2023
11,595
Customer reviews in total
96%
Current satisfaction rate
3 pages
Average paper length
37%
Customers referred by a friend
OUR GIFT TO YOU
15% OFF your first order
Use a coupon FIRST15 and enjoy expert help with any task at the most affordable price.
Claim my 15% OFF Order in Chat
Close

Sometimes it is hard to do all the work on your own

Let us help you get a good grade on your paper. Get professional help and free up your time for more important courses. Let us handle your;

  • Dissertations and Thesis
  • Essays
  • All Assignments

  • Research papers
  • Terms Papers
  • Online Classes
Live ChatWhatsApp