The Church
The Catholic Church played a central role in life in the medieval period, as it was a time when most people in society were religious. This meant it had a significant influence on medicine too.
People often turned to religion to explain illness and disease. Many believed that people suffered illnesses because they had sinned and it was a punishment sent from God, and that there was nothing that could be done to prevent this beyond prayer.
The church supported medical progress in many ways. It was responsible for setting up hospitals and providing medical training to doctors (who, at that time, were all men). Hospitals and infirmaries were formed as part of monasteries so the church and medical care went hand-in-hand.
However, the church continued to promote the ancient and inaccurate ideas of Galen which hindered progress. So, although the church’s role in medical education was positive, they insisted on teaching Galen’s work which meant it continued to spread. And because religion was so important to society, nobody questioned it.
The Supernatural
Some people also turned to the supernatural to explain illness and disease during the medieval period. People believed in lots of things, from magic and witchcraft to demons. It was thought by many that when things go wrong and can’t be explained, evil was to blame.
Astrology
The zodiac also formed lots of people’s beliefs about medicine. The study of astrology was even part of medical training for doctors.
The zodiac was mainly used for diagnostic reasons. Using a zodiac chart, a medieval doctor could see which part of the body linked to each of the astrological signs and this would help them decide on treatment. This could be anything from an operation to a particular herbal remedy. Zodiac charts could even suggest at what time a patient should be treated! Zodiac charts weren’t the only kind of chart medieval doctors used to diagnose and treat their patients. Urine charts were used during urine testing, when a doctor would compare the colour of urine to a chart to make these decisions. They also even smelled the urine, and sometimes tasted it too!
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