Zusammenfassung der Ressource
The Middle Ages - Why
were doctors still reading
Galen in 1350?
- Trade/Communication
- Dangerous to travel
- Trade was disrupted
- less ideas shared
- Doctors couldn't share ideas
- If there were no new ideas , people stuck
with what they knew
- Galen
- CLOSELY
- Education
- Priests and Monks often were the only ones who could read
- Monastries had the only libraries
- Doctors were trained by the church
- So they followed Galen
- Students weren't expected to think for themselves
- They just followed Galen
- CLOSELY
- Physicians often used a handbook called 'vade mecum' - Latin for 'Go with me'
- These manuals include Urine Charts
- Physicians could analyse patient's urine to help them diagnose illness
- Or Zodiac Charts - helps physician know when to avoid certain treatments
- As learning increased during 12th Century
- Religion
- Christianity was religion of Roman Empire
- Church supported Galen's ideas
- Fitted with the belief that God designed the body
- Galen's books were kept in the church's libraries
- After empire collapsed - the church got stronger
- Was the only strong centralised organisation left
- Had a huge influence
- Was a church in every town
- Told people what to believe
- Taught people to respect old books
- Such as the Bible and Galen's books
- Old ideas should be respected
- Some dissection was allowed BUT only by proving that Galen was right
- NOT trying to challenge him
- It was very DANGEROUS to disobey the Church
- KEY FACTOR
- CONNECTED
- Government
- No strong central government
- Lots of little countries
- Didn't think medicine was important
- Focused on war and defence
- Not paying for doctors or research
- Only controlled small areas
- So new ideas didn't spread
- CONNECTED
- War
- Lots of War between tribes/ little countries
- Disrupted trade/communication
- Expensive so no money for doctors
- Disrupted education
- and new technology that might advance medicine
- Training of doctors was abandoned
- CLOSELY
- CONNECTED