Post by Joanna on Apr 23, 2014 15:24:38 GMT -5
Medicine in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages medicine was extremely basic in an era when terrible illnesses such as the Black Death were killing nearly a third of the population. Medicine was limited and physicians had no idea what caused terrible illnesses and diseases. The Catholic Church believed illnesses was a punishment from God for sinful behavior. Letting blood was conducted by cupping or leeches. There were no antibiotics and it was almost impossible to cure illness and disease without them. Medicines were made from herbs, spices and resins and administered in drinks, pills, washes, baths, rubs, poultices, purges and ointments. Following are a list of illness and their treatments:
Plague. The Black Death had a massive mortality rate of between 30 and 40%. Victims had no idea what had caused the disease and neither did doctors. Bubonic plague (illustration above) was treated by lancing the buboes and applying a warm poultice of butter, onion and garlic. Various other remedies were tried including arsenic, lily root and even dried toad. During an outbreak during the Elizabethan era, substances such as tobacco brought from the New World were used to treat the disease.
Headache and Aching Joints. Head pains were treated with sweet-smelling herbs such as rose, lavender, sage and bay. A mixture of henbane and hemlock was applied to aching joints. Coriander was used to reduce fever.
Stomach Pains and Sickness. Stomach pains and sickness were treated with wormwood, mint and balm.
Lung Problems. Lung problems were treated with liquorice and comfrey. Horehound cough syrups and drinks were prescribed for chest congestion, head colds and coughs.
Wounds. Wounds were often cleaned with vinegar as it was believed it would kill disease. Mint was also used in treating venom and wounds. Myrrh was used as an antiseptic on wounds. Yarrow, or Achillea, was used to treat head pains and wounds, and wounds sustained in battle.
Source: Lords&Ladies.