Page 40 - All About History - Issue 186-19
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Have you been feeling under the weather lately?
Consult our new medical dictionary for some
of the best medieval treatments out there!
Written by Jessica Leggett
he medical knowledge and and its associated qualities, and so blood was like diagnosis was determined on the appearance of
understanding of the human body in air, hot and wet; yellow bile was like fire, hot and the patient and observation of the symptoms,
medieval Europe was very different dry; black bile was like earth, cold and dry; and in particular measuring the pulse and analysing
compared to what we know today. It phlegm was like water, wet and cold. Cures often urine. Numerous surviving manuscripts depict
T was largely based on the practices set revolved around these qualities, so if a disease was charts that showed physicians how to examine
out by physicians, in particular Hippocrates and considered to be cold and wet, then something hot urine based on its colour, smell and even taste.
Galen, during the ancient world and the belief and dry would be recommended to counteract it. Treatment fell into three categories – diet,
that the body comprised of four humours: blood, Contrary to popular myth, dissections did occur medication and surgery – which still remain
yellow bile, black bile and phlegm – with illness during the medieval era but they were rare and today, but some of the cures featured in this list
occurring when they became out of balance. Each so the inner workings of the human body were are very bizarre and we don’t endorse them, nor
humour corresponded to one of the four elements not fully understood. For medieval physicians, recommend that you try them!
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