Monasteries and health
The building where monks live. were crucial in continuing the work of ancient doctors in medieval England. Many local people could not afford a private A person who practises medicine.In medieval times, an infirmary was the monastery hospital. The word was later used for hospitals in general. within monasteries were the only place where such people could access free health care.
Why were monasteries important?
- Throughout the medieval period, there were over 1,000 monasteries in England.
- They were built all over the country.
- During this period, there was no free health care provided by the government. Monasteries gave people free care when they were in need.
- The monasteries also preserved ancient ideas about medicine.
What were monasteries like?
Monasteries and A type of monastery consisting of a number of buildings. were run by monks and nuns. The conditions in monasteries were generally cleaner and more hygienic than those in towns. Monasteries often had a supply of running water, as they were usually built near a river. The river would be used to carry away sewage and provide clean drinking water.
Every monastery had a library. Monks would copy out the works of A Roman doctor who lived from AD129 to approximately AD203. He revived Hippocrates' ideas and encouraged bloodletting as a treatment, after learning about anatomy from treating injured gladiators. and A Greek doctor 400 BC approx. He is called the 'father of modern medicine' as he developed the theory of the four humours, and the idea of observing and recording illnesses and diseases. This was important in preserving this work, which would later be built on during the The revival or rebirth of European art and literature under the influence of classical Roman and Greek culture during the 14th to 16th centuries.
Care at a monastery
Most monasteries had an infirmary that was for treating monks, nuns, The male head of a monastery or abbey. or The female head of a monastery or abbey. who were ill. It would also treat people from the local area. Treatment and care were given by monks and nuns, rather than trained physicians.
Most of the care in a monastery was based on the belief that illness was caused by God or by an imbalance in the Four bodily fluids 鈥 yellow bile, black bile, blood and phlegm 鈥 used in ancient times to analyse and describe people's state of health. This meant prayers were said for patients. Monasteries also practised The process of bleeding a patient, either by using leeches or by cutting into a vein. as this was based on Galen鈥檚 ideas about balancing the four humours.