Medicine in the Middle Ages

Medicine in the Middle Ages

  • Interesting Facts and information about Medicine in the Middle Ages in the Middle Ages
  • Middle Ages Medicine to treat the Black Death
  • Medieval Medicine to treat Headache and Aching joints
  • Middle Ages Medicine to treat Stomach Pains and Sickness
  • Middle Ages Medicine to treat Battle Wounds
  • Middle Ages Medicine to treat Lung Problems

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 one third of the population. Medicine was limited. Physicians had no idea what caused the terrible illnesses and diseases. The Catholic Church believed that illnesses were a punishment from God for sinful behaviour. Letting blood was conducted by cupping or leeches. There were no Antibiotics during the Middle Ages and it was almost impossible to cure illness and diseases without them.  Medicines in the Middle Ages were made from herbs, spices and resins. The medicine was applied in drinks, pills, washes, baths, rubs, poultices, purges and ointments. The Medicine used to treat some specific illnesses are described below.

   
  

Medicine in the Middle Ages

Interesting facts and information about life and the lives of men and women in the
Medieval period of the Middle Ages

Health in the Middle Ages
Middle Ages Hygiene
Middle Ages Doctors
Black Death

Middle Ages Medicine to treat the Black Death
The Black Death held a massive mortality rate of between 30 and 40%. Victims had no idea what had caused the disease. And neither did the doctors in the Middle Ages. The Black Death 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 a later outbreak of this terrible plague, during the Elizabethan era, substances such as tobacco brought from the New World were also used in experiments to treat the disease.

Medieval Medicine to treat 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 were applied to aching joints. Coriander was used to reduce a fever.

Middle Ages Medicine to treat Stomach Pains and Sickness
Stomach pains and sickness were treated with wormwood, mint, and balm.

Middle Ages Medicine to treat Lung Problems
Lung problems were given the medical treatment of a medicine made of liquorice and comfrey. Horehound cough syrups and drinks were prescribed for chesty and head-colds and coughs.

Middle Ages Medicine to treat Wounds
Wounds were cleaned and vinegar was widely used as a cleansing agent as it was believed that 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 headaches and wounds, especially battle wounds.

Medicine in the Middle Ages
Each section of this Middle Ages website addresses all topics and provides interesting facts and information about these great people and events in bygone Medieval times including Medicine in the Middle Ages. The Sitemap provides full details of all of the information and facts provided about the fascinating subject of the Middle Ages!

Medicine in the Middle Ages

  • Middle Ages era, period, life, age and times
  • Life for Middle Ages Men and Women
  • Middle Ages Medicine to treat the Black Death
  • Medieval Medicine to treat Headache and Aching joints
  • Middle Ages Medicine to treat Stomach Pains and Sickness
  • Middle Ages Medicine to treat Battle Wounds
  • Middle Ages Medicine to treat Lung Problems

Medicine in the Middle Ages

Medicine in the Middle Ages - Life in the Middle Ages - History of Medicine in the Middle Ages - Information about Medicine in the Middle Ages - Medicine in the Middle Ages Facts - Medicine in the Middle Ages Info - Middle Ages era - Middle Ages Life - Middle Ages Times - Life - Medicine in the Middle Ages - Medieval - Mideval - Medicine in the Middle Ages History - Information about Medicine in the Middle Ages - Medicine in the Middle Ages Facts - Medicine in the Middle Ages Info - Middle Ages era - Middle Ages Life - Middle Ages Times - Information - Facts - Dark Ages - Medieval - Mideval - Feudal system - Manors - Middle Ages Times - Information - Facts - Dark Ages - Medieval - Mideval - Feudal system - Manors - Medicine in the Middle Ages  - Written By Linda Alchin