Health and Wellnes
Medicine and Treatment in the Middle Ages
Lauren B.
During the Middle Ages, there were numerous diseases that killed much of society.
The Black Death, for example, was one of the worst times during the middle ages. Nobody was able to take a census due to these numerous deaths. Nobody had a theory for what caused the Black Death. The Catholic church thought that illness was karma from doing something wrong. Medicines during the Middle ages were made of herbs, spices, and resins. Headaches were treated with sweet- smelling herbs. Stomach pains and sickness were treated with wormwood, mind, and balm. Lung problems were given the medical treatment of a medicine made of liquorice and comfrey. Wounds, which were very common, were treated with vinegar. Though these medicines were meant to treat and make the illness better, people were never fully cured. Surgery was very rare and was done by people that were not experienced enough. Operations such as amputations, setting broken bones, replacing dislocations, and healings wounds were commonly done. If someone received a wound, they should immediately treat it because if they didn’t, it could become infected which then could lead to more deaths. During the Black Death, people that were treating patients with the disease had to make sure they dressed thoroughly from head to toe, because of how easy it was to catch the sickness. Everyone had to be cautious and aware of these numerous illnesses that were easy to catch. There were hospitals that the sick could attend if they needed immediate care or were dying. Some hospitals were also attached to monasteries. Some women even died giving birth to children, due to the limited medication to help them. In conclusion, many people have suffered or have even died, because of the limited amounts of medication during the Middle Ages.
Lauren B.
During the Middle Ages, there were numerous diseases that killed much of society.
The Black Death, for example, was one of the worst times during the middle ages. Nobody was able to take a census due to these numerous deaths. Nobody had a theory for what caused the Black Death. The Catholic church thought that illness was karma from doing something wrong. Medicines during the Middle ages were made of herbs, spices, and resins. Headaches were treated with sweet- smelling herbs. Stomach pains and sickness were treated with wormwood, mind, and balm. Lung problems were given the medical treatment of a medicine made of liquorice and comfrey. Wounds, which were very common, were treated with vinegar. Though these medicines were meant to treat and make the illness better, people were never fully cured. Surgery was very rare and was done by people that were not experienced enough. Operations such as amputations, setting broken bones, replacing dislocations, and healings wounds were commonly done. If someone received a wound, they should immediately treat it because if they didn’t, it could become infected which then could lead to more deaths. During the Black Death, people that were treating patients with the disease had to make sure they dressed thoroughly from head to toe, because of how easy it was to catch the sickness. Everyone had to be cautious and aware of these numerous illnesses that were easy to catch. There were hospitals that the sick could attend if they needed immediate care or were dying. Some hospitals were also attached to monasteries. Some women even died giving birth to children, due to the limited medication to help them. In conclusion, many people have suffered or have even died, because of the limited amounts of medication during the Middle Ages.
Food and Drinks in the Middle Ages
Sarah H.
Food and drinks during the medieval time period are a lot different than how they are today. The meals you ate were usually due to your social class. The food changed a lot during the Middle Ages. The theory behind the middle ages food and drinks was that the people did not have a well balanced diet. The food for the rich and poor varied. The rich had a small amount of vegetables, lots of meat including pork, goat, lamb,etc. They also ate lots of spices, cheese and fruits. To drink the rich usually had an assortment of wine. Wine was believed to be very good for health and was transported easily. WIne was also easy to import into cities. They also had an assortment of other drinks. The kings and rich rarely had water because it was never clean. For the poor however, they had whole different meals. To drink they would usually have ale. Most of the peasants food was home grown because they couldn't afford spices and weren't allowed to hunt. They used agriculture to grow food. The people in the middle ages also called their meals different names then our meals and also ate at different times with different courses. For a lord, breakfast was usually eaten between six and seven in the morning. Breakfast was a fairly large meal with three meat dishes and three fish dishes. For peasants, it was eaten at sunrise and the meal was usually dark bread. Dinner was eaten between eleven in the morning and two in the afternoon. For a lord, there would be three courses but each course might have between four to six courses in it! For a peasant however, dinner was called the "ploughman's lunch" and they ate dark bread and cheese. Supper for a lord would be eaten between six and seven in the evening and was similar to dinner but they ate more unusual foods like pigeon pie. For a peasant though, dinner was eaten towards sunrise and their meal consisted of vegetable pottage with fish (if they were lucky enough). The food since the middle ages has definitely changed, but its interesting to see what others ate.
Sarah H.
Food and drinks during the medieval time period are a lot different than how they are today. The meals you ate were usually due to your social class. The food changed a lot during the Middle Ages. The theory behind the middle ages food and drinks was that the people did not have a well balanced diet. The food for the rich and poor varied. The rich had a small amount of vegetables, lots of meat including pork, goat, lamb,etc. They also ate lots of spices, cheese and fruits. To drink the rich usually had an assortment of wine. Wine was believed to be very good for health and was transported easily. WIne was also easy to import into cities. They also had an assortment of other drinks. The kings and rich rarely had water because it was never clean. For the poor however, they had whole different meals. To drink they would usually have ale. Most of the peasants food was home grown because they couldn't afford spices and weren't allowed to hunt. They used agriculture to grow food. The people in the middle ages also called their meals different names then our meals and also ate at different times with different courses. For a lord, breakfast was usually eaten between six and seven in the morning. Breakfast was a fairly large meal with three meat dishes and three fish dishes. For peasants, it was eaten at sunrise and the meal was usually dark bread. Dinner was eaten between eleven in the morning and two in the afternoon. For a lord, there would be three courses but each course might have between four to six courses in it! For a peasant however, dinner was called the "ploughman's lunch" and they ate dark bread and cheese. Supper for a lord would be eaten between six and seven in the evening and was similar to dinner but they ate more unusual foods like pigeon pie. For a peasant though, dinner was eaten towards sunrise and their meal consisted of vegetable pottage with fish (if they were lucky enough). The food since the middle ages has definitely changed, but its interesting to see what others ate.
Black Death in Middle Ages
Kathleen K.
The Black Death developed in the medieval time period in Asia. It traveled along the silk road. It reached Europe in 1347. It lasted until 1351. The society fell apart as soon as the illness hit the streets. The black death killed one third of Europe’s population. Almost one out of two people died. The population also dropped due to lack of nutrition. The birth rate, the need for labor, and economics declined. Wages and prices increased due to lack of labor. The nursery rhyme “Ring around the rosy” is actually about the plague. The “ring around the rosy” part is referred to the the red ring shaped rashes that looked like a red rose. The rashes developed on the neck and arms. “Pocket full of poesy” was related to the poises that people carried because it covered the smell of death. “Ashes, ashes” was referred to when people burned down the houses that were the homes of the diseased. “We all fall down” is explains the part of the sick and the dying as they we fell in the streets. It was called the black death because many people had swollen lymph nodes that were blanked, therefore came the name “black death.” The most common symptoms included: pains in muscle, bleeding in the lungs, vomit, and high fever. If you considered treatment you would apply a mixture of onion, butter, and garlic to the area that was affected. This disease was spread by fleas, which were carried by rats and small rodents. The rodents traveled on ships along the trade route of the silk road. Once the ship docked the rats ran into the streets and the fleas jumped on the humans and affected them. Many people looked up to the priests of the church and relied on God. They turned to God to save them from getting the disease. Unfortunately, nothing could prevent people from getting the disease. Many people thought it was punishment from God. They began to questioned religion. Thankfully technology allows us to have a vaccine for the plague today.
Kathleen K.
The Black Death developed in the medieval time period in Asia. It traveled along the silk road. It reached Europe in 1347. It lasted until 1351. The society fell apart as soon as the illness hit the streets. The black death killed one third of Europe’s population. Almost one out of two people died. The population also dropped due to lack of nutrition. The birth rate, the need for labor, and economics declined. Wages and prices increased due to lack of labor. The nursery rhyme “Ring around the rosy” is actually about the plague. The “ring around the rosy” part is referred to the the red ring shaped rashes that looked like a red rose. The rashes developed on the neck and arms. “Pocket full of poesy” was related to the poises that people carried because it covered the smell of death. “Ashes, ashes” was referred to when people burned down the houses that were the homes of the diseased. “We all fall down” is explains the part of the sick and the dying as they we fell in the streets. It was called the black death because many people had swollen lymph nodes that were blanked, therefore came the name “black death.” The most common symptoms included: pains in muscle, bleeding in the lungs, vomit, and high fever. If you considered treatment you would apply a mixture of onion, butter, and garlic to the area that was affected. This disease was spread by fleas, which were carried by rats and small rodents. The rodents traveled on ships along the trade route of the silk road. Once the ship docked the rats ran into the streets and the fleas jumped on the humans and affected them. Many people looked up to the priests of the church and relied on God. They turned to God to save them from getting the disease. Unfortunately, nothing could prevent people from getting the disease. Many people thought it was punishment from God. They began to questioned religion. Thankfully technology allows us to have a vaccine for the plague today.
Sanitation and Hygiene in the Middle Ages
Emma C.
The health of the people during the middle ages had been very threatened because they had extremely poor medical knowledge and very poor hygiene. There was very bad hygiene when the disease the Black Death came through England in 1328. Although people did pay very close attention to their dental hygiene. Many Middle Ages health problems were caused by poor diet and very poor living conditions. Influenza was an extremely common problem of their health. Many women died while giving birth because of the poor hygiene and extremely bad diseases. The primary source of many people being sick in the Middle Ages was because the people who lived in communities the houses were very close together. Many soldiers who went into battle in The Crusades and the One Hundreds Year War suffered many injuries and illnesses. It did not help that the soldiers were treated environments that were very unsanitary so that made all of the conditions even worse than they already were. Having the soldiers in an unsanitary place to be treated made it very easy for them to get any plague or illnesses that were going around that area. One of the largest threats to hygiene in the Middle Ages was that they were placing flooring over flooring, they called this flooring rush flooring. One other important hygiene threat was their disposal of all of their waste. The people disposed of all their trash by putting it in rivers, ditches, and any other water ways. With them throwing all of the trash in these locations it made the air filled with diseases and it was extremely infected. Many diseases were spread daily due to the high accumulation of air pollution. The difference between the hygiene and sanitation form the Middle Ages and to present time has dramatically changed since then.
Emma C.
The health of the people during the middle ages had been very threatened because they had extremely poor medical knowledge and very poor hygiene. There was very bad hygiene when the disease the Black Death came through England in 1328. Although people did pay very close attention to their dental hygiene. Many Middle Ages health problems were caused by poor diet and very poor living conditions. Influenza was an extremely common problem of their health. Many women died while giving birth because of the poor hygiene and extremely bad diseases. The primary source of many people being sick in the Middle Ages was because the people who lived in communities the houses were very close together. Many soldiers who went into battle in The Crusades and the One Hundreds Year War suffered many injuries and illnesses. It did not help that the soldiers were treated environments that were very unsanitary so that made all of the conditions even worse than they already were. Having the soldiers in an unsanitary place to be treated made it very easy for them to get any plague or illnesses that were going around that area. One of the largest threats to hygiene in the Middle Ages was that they were placing flooring over flooring, they called this flooring rush flooring. One other important hygiene threat was their disposal of all of their waste. The people disposed of all their trash by putting it in rivers, ditches, and any other water ways. With them throwing all of the trash in these locations it made the air filled with diseases and it was extremely infected. Many diseases were spread daily due to the high accumulation of air pollution. The difference between the hygiene and sanitation form the Middle Ages and to present time has dramatically changed since then.
Conclusion
Even though some historians believe the Middle Ages was a positive period of growth for society in Europe, this time period was actually very dark and lacked progress in the areas of health and wellness. Foe example, the people in the middle ages didn't have a well balanced diet. They ate lots and lots of food and some of it wasn't the healthiest options. Also, they couldn't drink water because it was highly polluted and not clean. One third of Europe's population died due to the black death. Wages and prices increased due to lack of labor. Unfortunately so many people died during the black death there wasn't a true census. It was very unsanitary due to all the dead bodies that were thrown in the streets. Many people lacked knowledge in the medical field, therefore they had poor hygiene. Treatment was an option but there was never an actual cure for the black death during the middle ages. Yes, some things about health and wellness were good however most of it wasn't.
Even though some historians believe the Middle Ages was a positive period of growth for society in Europe, this time period was actually very dark and lacked progress in the areas of health and wellness. Foe example, the people in the middle ages didn't have a well balanced diet. They ate lots and lots of food and some of it wasn't the healthiest options. Also, they couldn't drink water because it was highly polluted and not clean. One third of Europe's population died due to the black death. Wages and prices increased due to lack of labor. Unfortunately so many people died during the black death there wasn't a true census. It was very unsanitary due to all the dead bodies that were thrown in the streets. Many people lacked knowledge in the medical field, therefore they had poor hygiene. Treatment was an option but there was never an actual cure for the black death during the middle ages. Yes, some things about health and wellness were good however most of it wasn't.
Work Cited:
Cooking. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.
"Food and Drink in Medieval England." Food and Drink in Medieval England. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.
Medicine in the Middle Ages." Medicine in the Middle Ages. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2014.
"~ Medieval Food and Cooking ~." Medieval Food and Cooking. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.
"Middle Ages Drink." Middle Ages Drink. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.
Middle Ages for Kids - The Plague!" Middle Ages for Kids - The Plague! N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.
"Middle Ages Hygiene." Middle Ages Hygiene. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014. <http://www.lordsandladies.org/middle-ages-hygiene.htm>.
Spielvogel, Jackson J. World History: Journey across Time. New York: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2005. Print.
Cooking. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.
"Food and Drink in Medieval England." Food and Drink in Medieval England. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.
Medicine in the Middle Ages." Medicine in the Middle Ages. N.p., n.d. Web. 06 May 2014.
"~ Medieval Food and Cooking ~." Medieval Food and Cooking. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.
"Middle Ages Drink." Middle Ages Drink. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.
Middle Ages for Kids - The Plague!" Middle Ages for Kids - The Plague! N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014.
"Middle Ages Hygiene." Middle Ages Hygiene. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 May 2014. <http://www.lordsandladies.org/middle-ages-hygiene.htm>.
Spielvogel, Jackson J. World History: Journey across Time. New York: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 2005. Print.