1. Barber Surgeons
In pairs on a piece of rough paper mind map: (things that it tells us, problems etc.)
How useful is Source C (page 79) for a student studying medieval barber surgeons?

2. Medieval Doctors What did people think about the causes of disease?
How did doctors diagnose and treat illness?
Created by Mr. C Wright,
Dulwich College Shanghai

3. Contents.. What did medieval people believed caused disease?
What methods did Medieval doctors use to diagnose patients?
What were some common medieval medical treatments?
How far did medical knowledge develop during medieval times?

4. How effective were Medieval doctors?
Causes of Disease
Methods of Diagnosis
Treatment
Development & improvement

5. How effective were Medieval doctors?
Causes of
Disease
God punishing people for
their sins
Astrology: the positions of
the planets can cause
Illness
The body is made up of 4
humours: earth, fire, water
& air. If they get out of
balance then you can get
Ill
Worms cause illness
Disease can be spread by
bad air (Miasma)
Methods of
Diagnosis
May need to check the
position of the planets
Check the pulse
Use a chart to check the
colour of a patients urine e.g.
clear urine – good digestion
\whilst black and cloudy urine
= very bad health, death
likely.
Treatment
Mixture of common sense
and superstitious treatments
Use of herbal potions and
mixtures
Some treatments based on
the four humours e.g. blood
letting. Potentially very
dangerous!
Onion & Garlic used
frequently: now we know
that actually these can be
very effective for minor
ailments
However other common
sense methods didn’t work
so well e.g. ‘ling of a fox to
cure Asthma.
Development
&
Improvement
Dissection of humans
forbidden by Church but
gradually became more
common: enabling doctors
to learn about anatomy.
Early use of anesthetics,
though knowledge limited.
Surgery improving. Many
wars during medieval times:
enables and encourages
improvements in surgery