Medical Practices of the Elizabethan Era

The Plague

the plague or, black death, was a massive epidemic in the 16th century that affected 1 in 4 people in Europe. not much was known about it so people believed that god was punishing everyone. so many people who were infected from the plague, died.

Common Solutions

a common solution for most ailments was a concoction of herbs created to help with the ailment that the patient was suffering. boils and warts were usually lanced in order to stop them from growing further. bleeding of people who were believed to have an imbalance of humours was also practiced.

The role of medicine

medicine was not very well practice back then, as the thought that god caused all ailments also created the thought that it was meant to be that you were sick. the superiority of the church back then didn't help either. if a doctor or practicer of medicine had an idea or a theory that went against the church or its beliefs, no matter how right it may have been, they were killed or burned at the stake

Humours

humours were the four essential fluids that were believed to have existed in the body. it was believed that all four need to maintain a constant balance amongst one another, otherwise the person will become sick. the four humours are: blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile. each having their own traits and element(water, air, fire, earth) to go with them.

Medical Practices of the Elizabethan Era

Presentation by: Jack Anderson

Mabillard, Amanda. Worst Diseases in Shakespeare's London. Shakespeare online. 20 Aug. 2000

Medical Knowledge of the Time

The people of the time period that practiced medicine did not know as much as we do now about medicine and how the body works. they believed that all or most ailments were caused by god to punish that person for something that he had done. because of this, many people who had common ailments of the time were often frowned upon.

Poor vs Rich

the rich and the poor had a very thick line of separation between the two when it came to medicine and medical practice. while the rich received physicians and "proper" medical care, the poor had to wallow in the cold and get sicker and sicker. occasionally, if a poor person wanted a solution, they wood go see the local wise woman, who would often have an answer. but most often the would seek guidance in the church.

Then and Now

today, we have a much better knowledge of how the body works and what we can do to combat disease. we now know that disease is caused by germs and bacteria rather than god or an imbalance of humours. we can now research further into the field of medicine than ever before, and solve many of the world's problems.