Medical Advancements During the Renaissance (Edexcel GCSE History)

The publication of nearly 600 editions of Galen’s work occurred in the 16th century

• Re-studying these texts did not help people find the answers that they were seeking

The Renaissance atmosphere encouraged the pursuit of scientific explanations for why people became ill

• During the 17th century, people were open to more experimental techniques

The development of humanism helped individuals to distance themselves from religious explanations

People began to focus on logical causes for illness

Thomas Sydenham was a humanist

• Plants and animals inspired Sydenham

• He believed that, if other living beings were grouped based on their characteristics, then so could diseases

Sydenham's theories stated that:

• A patient's symptoms indicated the disease they had

• For example, to have chickenpox, you must have raised red bumps over your body

• This symptom is the same for everyone who has chickenpox

• The symptoms of the disease did not depend on the patient

  • Before this time people thought that the patient’s diet, star sign and humours affected the symptoms that they experienced

• Every patient should receive the same remedy

  • Physicians should not use personalised methods of treatment as the Theory of the Four Humours suggested

  • Patient observation was critical

    • Physicians should write down the patient’s symptoms to identify their disease

    • The physician will then make a treatment plan

    • For example, Sydenham used cinchona bark to treat malaria. The bark contains quinine, a chemical still used today in malaria medication

Sydenham discovered that, what was once considered to be one disease, was multiple separate diseases

• Previously scarlet fever and measles were considered to be one disease 

• Sydenham noted that the symptoms of the two diseases had different symptoms  

  • A patient with scarlet fever has a white tongue with red spots

  • A patient with measles would have white spots on the inside cheek and back of the lips

Sydenham’s methods and ideas revolutionised the approach to disease diagnosis and treatment

• This laid the foundations for diagnosis of disease and patient care for centuries to come

An invention by Johannes Gutenberg in c.1440 

The printing press required little training to operate

• Blocks of texts and images called woodcuts were covered in ink and arranged under a piece of paper

• The printing press lever was then lowered and which applied pressure

• The inked woodcut would then print the text and image onto the paper

The Church could no longer control the publication of books as it did in medieval times when all books were handwritten by monks

Scientists could publish and share their work much more easily

An organisation that allowed scientists from across Europe to share discoveries and discuss new ideas

The support given by King Charles II in 1662 gave the organisation power and influence

In 1665, the society released a journal called Philosophical Transactions to share their ideas

• It was the first scientific journal in the world and is still published today