Formation of Medicine in Medieval Western Europe: An Overview

Introduction to Medicine
begins with the Greeks
manipulated diet
rationalists by nature
used folkloric/religious traditions
believed in the patron of physicians - Asclepius
who advised that health should be protected in ominous meteorological conditions by a change in
regimen and prayer to the gods (Siraisi 3)
Description of Medical Sects
Rationalists
also known as dogmatists
used reason to fuel ideas
reason does NOT equal logic
Empiricists
believed that theory was useless
only experience fueled discovery and a better knowledge of medicine
Methodists
used a specific set of rules over a time span of 6 months
believed in the precision of medicine, not just experience
Out of these three sects, who would you trust the most? Who would you let treat you or operate on your
body?
Religion in Medicine
Some cases of illness were interpreted as:
evidence of divine retribution for sin
consequences of the Fall of Man
Miracles - how can you deny it?
most effective testimony for religious healing rather than secular healing
gospels, saints, cults, tie-in to indulgences
caring for the sick was charity and a sign of holy self-mortification
Miracle of St. John of Beverly
trained a child to speak
cured his skin disease by sending him to a physician
this miracle attributed to St. John was a farce as it was just a man teaching a child to speak and then
curing him of his maladies by getting him ointment
Non-Christian Religions in the Western World
In reality, the most serious competitor to the healing power of the saints in the early Middle Ages was
probably less the surviving tradition of ancient secular medicine than the non-Christian religious or
magical folk practices and beliefs widespread in a partially or superficially Christianized society (Siraisi
11)
Medical Literature Over Time
Greeks
Orally and empirically
Aristotle, Herophilus, Erasistratus, Dioscorides
anatomy, nervous system, brain, herbal pharmacology
Galen
studied philosophy, pathology, hygiene and therapy
believed that best physician is also a philosopher (Siraisi 4)
Translation into Latin
Benedictine Rule

moderation of physical asceticism

generous dietary provisions
attentive care of sick monks
St. Augustine: Christ himself was the true physician, that is, the physician primarily of souls but also of
bodies (Siraisi 9)
Muslim Word
Monks rewrote copies of medical texts
Translated into Arabic
Arabic-speaking physicians added onto texts and commented with their own recommendations
9th Century
Introduction of large encyclopedias
12th Century Renaissance
population increase, economic growth, urbanization, development of secular/ecclesiastical governments,
literacy rates, occupations, and learning
more of a theoretical and skilled healing stress
Conclusion
We have to blur boundaries, even abandon categories: magic, religion, science; theological, scientific,
practical; diagnosis and prognosis, monastic and lay; even plants and animals (Holden).
Medicine is medicine, no matter how is conducted
Medicine is a step-by-step, add-on process based on experimentation and application of knowledge
There is a link between Christianity and medicine for those who require it
At death - do you think this is medicine and Christianity or just one of the two?

Humors (or Humours)

theory that within a human there are 4 humors
black bile
yellow bile
phlegm - phlegmatic
blood - sanguine
had to be in balance for person to be healthy