Illnesses and Medicines of the Medieval Times

1. Illnesses and Medicines of the Medieval Times By Caroline M.

2. What are Illnesses and Medicines? Illnesses are what you call bacteria, germs, or viruses that make people unwell. Some illnesses we have today are influenza (the flu), pneumonia, and the stomach bug. Medicines are what we use to treat illnesses. Plants, non-harmful bacteria, and antibiotic can be medicines. However, medieval people did not have the same illnesses or medicines we do today.

3. Leprosy and Typhoid Leprosy and Typhoid were two illnesses of the medieval times. Leprosy is an illness that affects the skin. If you have leprosy, your skin will break out in terrible sores and boils. Typhoid is a little bit like influenza (the flu.) If you have typhoid, you will contract a high fever and you may have nausea. Fortunately for us, today we have the medicines to cure such diseases, but in the medieval times, there was no cure.

4. Scurvy, Intestinal Diseases, and Mental Illnesses In the Medieval Times, there was not much healthy food, and food that was healthy was scarce. Scurvy is caused by the lack of Vitamin C. It affects your teeth by your teeth rotting! Not a pretty sight. Intestinal diseases were caused by harmful bacteria in food. They resulted in worms in your body and vomiting. If you had a mental illness in the Medieval Times, there was little hope for you. Sometimes people were put in cathedrals in hopes that they would be cured.

5. The Black Death The Black Death (Bubonic Plague) was a terrible disease that raged through Europe in the 1300s, killing over one fourth of the population. Here’s how it happened. In the mid-1300s a ship came to Italy from Asia that carried rats. The rats had fleas which carried the Black Death. It quickly spread across Europe, affecting Italy, France, and Spain. It symptoms included gangrene, which is where your skin turns black and falls off. (That was the reason the Bubonic Plague was nicknamed the Black Death.) Other symptoms included headache, nausea, and aching joints. If left untreated, the infected person would die within eight (8) days. It was very rare, however, that an infected person lived.

6. The Black Death The Black Death infected people in two ways. One was an infection in the lungs and the other was an infection in the armpits. At its height, people had to bury their own dead without a funeral. Only the lucky and strong survived without infection. Sadly, it was highly contagious and so many peasants died that homes sat empty and there was almost no one left to farm the land where there were no people. The death toll was an estimated 75-200 million people! Certain people were blamed for it, mostly people with skin problems (even teenagers with acne!) Good for us today, there IS a cure for the Black Death now, but some people in Asia have it right now.

7. Medicines There were only a few medicines back in the Medieval Times. Here are a few I would like you to know about. Feverfew was used for headaches and childbirth. Marjoram was used to make a poultice for bruises and wounds. Wormwood was used to rid the digestive system of worms and to repel fleas.

8. Medicines Lungwort is another medicine that was used to treat chest and lung disorders. Herbs were common and were used to treat a variety of illnesses. Lemon Balm was special. It was very rare and was seen as a magic elixir that could cure serious illnesses because it caused sweating. It was used to try to treat the Black Death, but sadly, it failed.

9. Bloodletting and Toothpaste Bloodletting was when a Doctor attached leeches to your body or poked you with needles so you would bleed if you were ill. Why? Doctors believed in the balance of liquids in the body. It hurt more than it helped, though! Medieval toothpaste was more for cosmetics, not dental hygiene, and it was made of powder and shells.

10. Doctors and Hospitals Doctors were very rare. If you wanted to become a doctor, you could attend a famed medical school in Spain. After 5 years of studying and 2 exams, they gave you your license and you could practice medicine. Hospitals were mainly in big cities, and they were built in the 1200s.

11. The End That’s all I have to say! I hope you enjoyed my PowerPoint and have a great day!