History GCSE Homework You will find the following three slides useful when planning your answers to the test paper Remember: You should agree with the statement to some extent, and support your answer from both the source and your knowledge You should also try to challenge the statement and support your answer from both the source and your knowledge.

J.Healing prayers. K.Pilgrimage G.Amulates and charms As the church taught that disease was sent by God as a punishment for sin, people prayed for forgiveness and for cures – spiritual healing. K.Pilgrimage People believed that visiting holy sites, touching holy relics and presenting offerings could provide a miracle cure. G.Amulates and charms Chanting incantations and using charms and amulets to heal symptoms and ward off diseases were common practices in the Middle Ages. K.The ‘King’s Touch It was commonly believed that the king had the power to heal certain certain illnesses like ‘scrofula’, by touching the sick with holy oil. Kings were usually willing to perform this ceremony as it demonstrated their ‘divine right’ to rule and their link to God. C.Astrology N.Humoural treatments To restore the balance of the humours Treatments might include blood letting (phlebotomy), vomiting or purging by using an enema or laxative. Physicians consulted star charts when diagnosing illness. These were also important when prescribing treatments which varied according to the horoscope of the patient which was then matched to the alignment of the planets e.g purging.

O.Bathing - (public ‘stewes’) F.Avoiding sin O.Bathing - (public ‘stewes’) Warm baths were often prescribed to help the body draw in heat and help dissolve blockages in the humours. This gave the body the opportunity to steam out impurities. B.Herbal remedies Sick people were often treated with herbal remedies which they might drink, sniff or bathe in. Some of these are still used today such as aloe vera, mint, camomile and rose oils. Most people in the Middle Ages believed illness could be avoided by regular prayers, confessions and offering tithes to the church or by punishing themselves (Flagellants) J.Hygiene E.Diet I.Purifying the air Medieval people tried to keep the air free from miasma by purifying it. They did this by spreading sweet herbs like lavender, carried pomanders or sometimes burnt oil and tar in the street. Since the humours were though to be produced by digestion what and when you ate were considered important in preventing an imbalance Eating too much was strongly discouraged. People purged themselves to prevent getting illness. The ‘Regimen Sanitatis’ was a set of hygiene instructions provided by physicians to advise their patients on how to keep healthy. It was based on Hippocrates ideas on washing and keeping clean – very common by 1250

P.Physicians H.Female carer’s Most people would been L. Apothecaries treated home by a female family member. They would have made the remedies them- selves and some acted as midwives and ‘wise women’. L. Apothecaries Apothecaries mainly mixed herbal remedies. They also had a good knowledge of the healing power of herbs and plants thanks to studying herbal manuals such as the ‘Materia Medica’. Some of them dabbled in alchemy ; they supplied some of the more unusual items ie unicorn horn Medieval physicians had trained at university, to diagnose and recommend rather than actually treat patients. They were scare, very expensive and based their ideas on the four humours and Hippocratic ideas (usually employed by royalty) D.Hospitals By 1500, there were around 1,100 hospitals - some just had a couple of beds some had hundreds. Many just offered ‘hospitality’ rather than treatment. Around 30% were run by the Church staffed by monks and nuns. M. ‘Quack Doctors’ Anyone could set themselves up as a ‘doctor’. Such characters would often turn up at markets and fairs. Some of their remedies may have had some benefits but most were ineffective and sometimes dangerous. A.Barber Surgeons Barber surgeons trained by serving an apprenticeship. They were looked down on by physicians. They performed minor surgery, pulled teeth, performed amputations and carried out blood letting.