As
the populations of medieval towns and cities increased, hygienic
conditions worsened, leading to a vast array of health problems.
Medical knowledge was limited and, despite the efforts of medical
practitioners and public and religious institutions to institute
regulations, medieval Europe did not have an adequate health care
system. Antibiotics weren't invented until the 1800s and it was
almost impossible to cure diseases without them. There were many
myths and superstitions about health and hygiene as there still
are today. People believed, for example, that disease was spread
by bad odors. It was also assumed that diseases of the body resulted
from sins of the soul. Many people sought relief from their ills
through meditation, prayer, pilgrimages, and other nonmedical methods.The
body was viewed as a part of the universe, a concept derived from
the Greeks and Romans. Four humors, or body fliuds, were directly
related to the four elements: fire=yellow bile or choler; water=phlegm;
earth=black bile; air=blood. These four humors had to be balanced.
Too much of one was thought to cause a change in personality--for
example, too much black bile could create melancholy.
MEDICINE
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Medicine was often a risky business.
Bloodletting was a popular method of restoring a patient's health
and "humors." Early surgery, often done by barbers without
anesthesia, must have been excruciating.Natural functions, such
as sneezing, were thought to be the best way of maintaining health.
When there was a build-up of any one humor, or body fluid, it could
be disposed of through sweat, tears, feces, or urine. When these
natural systems broke down, illness occurred. Medieval doctors stressed
prevention, exercise, a good diet, and a good environment. One of
the best diagnostic tools was uroscopy, in which the color of the
patient's urine was examined to determine the treatment. Other diagnostic
aids included taking the pulse and collecting blood samples. Treatments
ranged from administering laxatives and diuretics to fumigation,
cauterization, and the taking of hot baths and/or herbs.Medicine
during the medieval era was multi-faceted, relying on the skills
of several classes of practitioners. The ill and aged were treated
by university trained physicians, monks, or folk healers, depending
on the patient's socio-economic class. Though medical practices
and procedures in the middle ages are generally considered obsolete
and relying on herbal remedies, prayer, spells and incantations,
there were also surgeries performed and cures perfected that are
similar to modern procedures.
THE DIAGNOSE OF
DISEASE
No-one knew what really caused
diseases. For the Roman Catholic Church they were a punishment from
God for sinful behaviour. However, some progress was made in certain
areas.The first authentic description of the symptoms of smallpox
were recorded by Rhazes who lived from 860 to 932 AD. However, society
was many centuries away from a cure.
Urine charts were also used to help physicians diagnose illnesses.
Certain coloured urine indicated certain illnesses. Combined with
a table of the planets, these gave physicians enough information
to diagnose a disease. Once the disease had been diagnosed, a treatment
was decided on.Physicians still believed that an imbalance of humours
played a major part in illnesses.Blood letting was a popular treatment
for many diseases. Many diseases were thought to be caused by an
excess of blood in the body and blood letting was seen as the obvious
cure. When a large quantity of blood was required, the appropriate
vein was cut. If only a small amount was needed, a leech would be
used.Diagnosis was also influenced by astrology. Medical charts
informed physicians what not to do for people born under a certain
start sign.
ZODIAC CHART
THE
MIDDLE AGES 
