Medieval medicine
Medieval Medicine
Medieval medicine refers to the medical practices and beliefs during the Middle Ages, a period that spans from the 5th to the 15th century.
Pronunciation
Medieval: /ˌmiːdɪˈiːvəl/ Medicine: /ˈmɛdɪsɪn/
Etymology
The term "Medieval" originates from the Latin "medium aevum," meaning "middle age." The term "medicine" comes from the Latin "medicina," derived from "mederi," which means "to heal."
Overview
Medieval medicine was a mix of existing ideas from antiquity, spiritual influences, and what Claude Lévi-Strauss identifies as the "shamanistic complex" — a belief in the supernatural causing and curing of disease.
Key Concepts
Humoral Theory
The Humoral Theory, or Humorism, was a major belief system in medieval medicine. It was based on the concept that the human body was filled with four basic substances, known as the four humors: black bile, yellow bile, phlegm, and blood.
Miasma Theory
The Miasma Theory was another prevalent belief in medieval medicine. It held that diseases were the product of environmental factors such as contaminated water, foul air, and poor hygienic conditions.
Herbal Medicine
Herbal Medicine was a common practice in medieval times. Many herbs and plants were used for their medicinal properties, such as willow bark for pain relief and digitalis for heart conditions.
Related Terms
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Medieval medicine
- Wikipedia's article - Medieval medicine
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