Ideas About Causes of Disease in Renaissance Britain (Edexcel GCSE History)

Ideas of Cause of Disease in the Renaissance - Timeline & Summary

'Renaissance’ is a French term which translates to ‘rebirth.’ This describes a period of new ideas about science, religion, art and architecture from the 16th century to the 18th century. Three factors allowed this evolution:

1. The power of the Church was in decline. Christianity began to break into two different sects: Protestants and Catholics. Protestantism was a movement which began in Germany led by Martin Luther in c.1520s. It accused the Catholic Church of corruption and ignoring the teachings of the Bible. Protestantism began to spread and some countries converted to the new religion. England became Protestant in 1534 under King Henry VIII. The new Church lifted previous restrictions on practices like dissection, allowing more scientific progress.

2. Some individuals became more curious about understanding disease. Humanism rejected God’s almighty power in favour of an individual’s control over their own fate. This allowed scientists like Thomas Sydenham to disprove old ideas and develop evidence-based theories. Institutions like the Royal Society promoted collaboration between scientists. This enabled the best minds across Renaissance Europe to analyse new discoveries. 

3. There were key developments in technology. Microscopes became more powerful allowing scientists to view microorganisms like bacteria for the first time. The printing press is one of the most important inventions in human history. Printed books were not subject to censorship by the Church. Therefore new discoveries spread further than ever before. 

The Renaissance saw the first steps towards understanding why people became ill. However, many people still did not understand the cause of disease. There were many gaps in knowledge because of a lack of quality microscopes and other medical equipment. The attitude of the public destroyed any breakthrough in the cause of disease. Many were resistant to change, refusing to accept that the Theory of the Four Humours was incorrect. Without the support of the population, there was no substantial progress.

New Ideas and Discoveries in the Renaissance

Alchemy 

• Alchemy is an early form of chemistry

  • Created in Medieval times, it became popular in the Renaissance

  • It originally focused on attempting to convert metal into gold 

• Understanding the properties of substances allowed people to begin to use science to understand disease and develop cures 

  • Paraclesus, a Swiss scientist, used alchemy to create chemical treatments

  • He stated that small doses of mercury could cure syphilis

Animalcules 

• By 1683, there were more powerful microscopes

• These allowed scientists to view label microorganisms 

  • Antony van Leeuwenheok studied plaque under a microscope

    • The tiny creatures or ‘animalcules’ he observed were the first sighting of bacteria

Medical Texts

• The development of the printing press increased the creation of medical textbooks without the influence of the Church: 

  • On Contagion (1546) stated that seeds in the air caused disease

  • Observationes Medicae (1676) theorised external factors rather than the person’s humours made somebody ill

Understanding the Human Body

• Allowing human dissection led to more accurate drawings of the human anatomy 

  • Jan Baptiste van Helmont gained a better understanding of the digestive system

  • English scientist William Harvey discovered the circulatory system

Old Ideas That Changed

Old Ideas That Changed a Lot

• The Theory of the Four Humours 

  • Decreased in influence by the 17th century amongst physicians

  • Physicians looked at other medical texts to research symptoms and diagnose patients

  • Physicians increased their use of patient observation

  • The general public only wanted their condition explained in terms of the Four Humours

• Diagnosing patients using urine 

  • Due to advances in understanding the digestive system, physicians understood that urine did not directly influence a patient's health

Old Ideas That Changed a Little

• Influence of the Church

  • In everyday life, it was now understood that God did not make people ill

  • In times of national emergency, for example, plagues, people still looked to religion for explanations and prevention

• Supernatural

  • Belief in astrology declined by the 16th century

  • In times of plague, people still wore charms to warn off evil spirits

Old Ideas That Stayed the Same

• Miasma

• This theory remained hugely influential in this time period and increased in importance in times of epidemics