Physicians

What were medieval doctors prohibited from doing?

Physicians who were monks were not permitted to dissect dead bodies or carry out treatment that would involve cutting a patient. This led to bloodletting and other surgeries being carried out by barber surgeons.

What training did medieval doctors have?

Medical training was arduous, with a medical degree taking seven to ten years to complete. Potential doctors studied the works of Hippocrates and Galen. Very few had the chance to dissect a body. As there weren't many physicians, seeing one cost a lot of money.

What was the role of the medieval Church in training doctors?

Many universities were funded by the Catholic Church, which meant their teaching was influenced by the Church's beliefs.

What methods did medieval doctors use?

Medieval physicians used 4 main treatment methods:

• ❖ Diagnosis. Medieval physicians rarely treated patients themselves. Instead they would carry out a diagnosis and recommend a course of treatment to be carried out by a barber surgeon or an apothecary.
• ❖ Sample study. Physicians would study their patients' blood, urine and faeces to reach a diagnosis.
• ❖ Astrology. Physicians would look at astrological charts to see how the stars were aligned when their patient was born and when they fell ill.
• ❖ Study of 'humoural tendencies'. These were personality traits believed to be linked to your humours. For example, a quick-tempered person was believed to have too much yellow bile.

Why did not many people visit a medieval physician?

Most doctors were based in large towns, and even so there weren't many of them. Consulting them was expensive, so most people could not afford to see them.