Topic 2.

MEDICINE
IN THE MIDDLE AGES.
European region

Plan
1. Medieval city: sanitary-epidemiological
conditions.
2. Epidemics (plague, leprosy, mental diseases).
3. European universities and medical training.
4. Methods of treatment in the Middle Ages.
5. Chemist’s shops.
6. Peculiarities of European medieval medicine.
7. Prominent doctors of Renaissance.
 The term “Middle Ages” was introduced
to the scientific circulation Italian humanists of 15th -16th centuries to
define the historical period between Antiquity and Modern Era.
Sometimes they are called “The Dark Ages” because of severe
persecution of scientists
 Medieval city:
sanitary-epidemiological conditions
 Medieval city:
sanitary-epidemiological conditions
 PLAGUE Pandemies in Europe:
(541-654) 25 million victims, (1320 – 1348) 25 million people (31% of the whole
European population)

A victim of Medieval picture A plague doctor

plague in uniform
 Leprosy
Reasons of spread of diseases
(plague, leprosy, smallpox, and
typhus):
−The development of trade relations
with different countries;
− Urban extension;
A man with leprosy − Low level of hygiene in towns;
− The Crusades
We can estimate the size of this
problem using the statistical data:
in 13th century in Europe were
organized 19,000 hospitals for
lepers(just in France 2,000 ones)
Mental diseases
 Other mental diseases
Witch-hunt and Children’s crusades

The search for the spot Children’s Crusade

1212
In the Middle Ages medical school
training in Europe was stopped and
medicine again started to exist
as a family handicraft
 CHARITABLE AND MEDICAL INSTITUTIONS
were organized by the Catholic Church
Orphanotrophiums – Xenodochiums – places
orphanages; for pilgrims;
Gerocomiums – old Pestiferorums – hospitals
people’s homes; for victims of plague;
Nosocomiums – Hirotrofiums – places
hospitals; for widows

Pantokrator monastery
 MEDICINE AND RELIGION
IN WESTERN EUROPE
 UNIVERSITIES
The first university was opened in Bologna in 1088;
Students were of different ages;
Mostly each university had 4 faculties: preparatory,
theological, medical, and juridical;
There were about 40 students on average in each
university;
Education was theoretical;
Students learnt professor’s
speeches by heart ;
Students were taught in Latin


At the lecture
Medical faculty
The average term of medical education
was 4-5 years
The Schola Medica Salernitana, Italy (founded in 9th c.)
 MEDICINE AND EDUCATION
It was the first secular
medical school in Europe,
which had the right to give
diplomas of doctors in the
Holy Roman Empire.
Education at that school
lasted 9 years (10 years for
Doctors and patients
surgeons): first three
years students had been -medicine for the next
learning logic, and other
period of five years
basic disciplines - and after that 1
Students could start their university studyyear
being 14 year-old, but at
Salerno Medical School students could start their study at 21
of practice
Women at Salerno Medical School
 Postmortem
examinations

Frederick II Pope Boniface VIII

MEDICINE AND EDUCATION

Schola Medica Salernitana

Medieval “methods of treatment”
Chemist’s shops in Europe
 European chemist’s shops

Medieval chemist’s shops

The oldest working chemist’s shop sold medicines, sweets,
in Europe. Tallinn (Estonia, 1422) perfumes, and spices
Peculiarities of European
medieval medicine
Teaching of a disease
 THE DEVELOPMENT OF ANATOMY
DURING THE PERIOD OF RENAISSANCE

Leonardo da Vinci
(1492 - 1519)
a scientist, mathematician,
engineer, inventor, anatomist,
painter, sculptor, architect,
botanist, musician and writer
 THE DEVELOPMENT OF ANATOMY
DURING THE PERIOD OF RENAISSANCE

Andreas Vesalius
(1514 - 1564)
 THE DEVELOPMENT OF ANATOMY
DURING THE PERIOD OF RENAISSANCE

Michael Servetus
(1509 - 1553)
Spanish physician and humanist
 THE DEVELOPMENT OF PHYSIOLOGY
DURING THE PERIOD OF RENAISSANCE

William Harvey
(1578 - 1657) Ieronimus Fabritius was his teacher, so his wrong ideas
of valves encouraged Harvey to develop this theory
English physician
and embryologist  The location and function of the one-way
 This doctor described valves in the veins, which are oriented
 the circulatory system to direct blood back to the heart
 THE DEVELOPMENT OF CHEMISTRY
DURING THE PERIOD OF RENAISSANCE

Paracelsus
(1493 – 1541)
German-Swiss
physician
and alchemist
 THE DEVELOPMENT OF STUDY OF INFECTIOUS
DISEASES DURING THE PERIOD OF RENAISSANCE

Syphilis cure.
The image depicts doctors
examining patient’s urine to
evaluate her health (upper right
corner) and applying mercury-
based salve to syphilitic pox
(lower middle)
THE DEVELOPMENT OF STUDY ABOUT INFECTIOUS
DISEASES DURING THE PERIOD OF RENAISSANCE

Girolamo Fracastoro
(1478 - 1553)
Italian physician, poet,
astronomer, and geologist
 THE DEVELOPMENT OF SURGERY
DURING THE PERIOD OF RENAISSANCE

Various surgical
operations
 THE DEVELOPMENT OF SURGERY
DURING THE PERIOD OF RENAISSANCE

Ambroise Pare
(1510 - 1590)
French physician,
regarded by some medical
historians as the father
of modern surgery
 Your task is
For topic 1:
Write about medical problems of primitive people;
Write about the development of medicine in one of the
ancient civilizations (Chinese, Indian, Egyptian, Greek
or Roman).
For topic 2:
Write about medical problems in the Middle Ages
And about contribution of three European doctors to
medicine in the period from 5th up to 16th centuries
Send your assignments by today’s midnight both
groups to me, teacher Nataliya
nm.martynenko@knmu.edu.ua