The Elizabethan era was not only a period of rations medical science, but also a time of great superstition. Medicine remained attached to astrology and other beliefs such as the supernatural. (Davis) Elizabethan times was the era in which Queen Elizabeth I and Shakespeare lived. However the times were very unsanitary. People threw their trash out the window and if their dog or cat died, they would throw that out the window also. When it rained, cats and dogs would flow down the street. This is where the quote “Raining cats and dogs” derived.
Because of all of these things, health was a major concern in Elizabethan England. Poor sanitation and a rapidly growing population contributed to the spread of disease. (Andrews) Medicine and health in the sixteenth century was very different from that of today, however their medical problems were very different from the medical challenges we face presently. Deadly diseases were the main cause of poor health and fear of dying in Elizabethan times. They (the diseases) were believed to be caused by devils, spirits and demons, and were to be challenged by white magic and prayers.
The most famous and dreaded disease in Elizabethan Times was the plague. This disease spread rapidly, had no cure and caused numerous fatalities. “An outbreak in 1593 is reported to have killed 15, 000 people in the London area alone,” (Andrews). “Even worse than the plague, but fortunately less common, was the so called “sweating sickness. Someone with this would suffer a high fever that usually proved fatal within 24 hours,” (Andrews). Other major diseases included malaria, spread by mosquitoes; syphilis, which was sexually transmitted; and scurvy, caused by poor diet and particular common among sailors.
Epidemic diseases became common during the sixteenth century. Among them were typhus, smallpox, diphtheria, and measles. In children there were epidemics of plague, measles, smallpox, scarlet fever, chicken pox and diphtheria. Many children were abandoned, especially the ones with syphilis (it was feared they would pass it on ). Smallpox probably caused the most deaths in villages. Most people had no understanding of the disease and those who survived it were often scarred for life. (Chamberlin) Medicine was not very scientific at this time and often beliefs were relied upon to determine a treatment of disease.
The biggest belief was that health revolved around the four fluids, or humours; blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile. The amounts of these humours determined a person’s physical or mental health. A person with a dominant presence of blood was supposedly happy and generous. A dominance of yellow bile meant that the person was violent and vengeful. An excess of phlegm resulted in a person being dull, pale and cowardly. Black bile justified someone’s laziness. The three main organs in the body according to the Elizabethans were the heart, liver, and the brain.
The liver was considered the great blood forming, nutritiongiving organ from which the four humours arose,” (Davis). It was also considered the origin of the veins which spread throughout the body. Elizabethans believed the heart to be the center of life. The heart was the place of affections and emotions-joy, anger, hope, fear, etc. , and the source of the soul. The brain was the place of reason, memory, and imagination. (Davis) “Many physicians in Elizabethan England held medical degrees from Oxford or Cambridge University. They studied the works of ancient Greek physicians Hippocrates and Galen.
Ancient medical knowledge was high respected, and doctors were warned against excessive experimentation. After completing their studies, every new doctor was examined by the Royal College of Physicians before receiving a license to practice medicine,” (Andrews). Back then, physicians were associated with the Catholic Church and they had been forbidden to shed blood. Therefore, practices involving bloodshed, such as surgery, was the responsibility of surgeons. Surgeons would bandage wounds, remove bullets and arrowheads, set broken bones, and pull teeth.
They rarely performed surgery in which the body was opened. There was no anesthetic and the patients were fully awake. Many died soon afterward due to infection or from shock to their systems. Elizabethan apothecaries, or pharmacists, had no formal medical training, like surgeons. “They learned their skills through apprenticeship. Apothecaries dealt mostly in herbs and tonics, but they could make a good living by selling tobacco on the side. In small villages medical issues were often handled by “wise women”, old women who knew and practiced folk cures.
Much of this involved the use of herbs and other plants. A few of these “wise women” also could set broken bones. They are frequently referred to as beldames in Shakespeare’s plays,” (Andrews). The practices of the sixteenth century were very different from those of today. Most Elizabethans believed that health was governed by four basic fluids, or humours; blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile. “The people believed that the four humours had to be in balance to maintain health,” (Andrews). Because of this a popular cure was blood letting, or removing “excess” blood from the patients veins.
Many doctors also recommended that healthy people be bled on a regular basis to keep the fluids properly balanced. Doctors often considered a patient’s horoscope when planning a treatment. Other remedies included drugs made from herbs, minerals, and animal parts. The first effective remedy for malaria was a plant from Peru named Cinchona. It cured quickly and acted specifically on only a certain kind of fever. (Chamberlin) The physicians of the Elizabethan period were men of good education. They contributed greatly to the medical advancements of this era.
For mental illness, Jean-Baptiste Denis extended the new technique of transfusing blood to the treatments of mental patients. However, this ended when a patient died. Ambroise Pare discovered the effectiveness of hygiene on wound healing. “One night after treating many gunshot wounds with boiling oil, he ran out of oil. So for many of the soldiers Pare simply cleaned and dressed their wounds and went to bed. The next day he awoke to see that the wounded treated with oil were feverish and in pain, while the ones cleaned and dressed were sleeping and doing well,” (Lyons and Pertrucelli).
Boiling oil was no longer used and he also later influenced many physicians to stop using cauterizing irons. Physician William Harvey studied the circulation of blood in 1616 and for the first time he demonstrated the real action of the heart and the course that the blood took through the arteries. Jan Baptista van Helmont believed that fever was not due to unbalanced humours, but discovered that it was a reaction to an invading irritating agent. He didn’t use bloodletting and purging but used chemical medicines and improved the sued of mercury. (Lyons and Pertrucelli)
William Shakespeare has been credited as being ahead of his time with regard to his understanding of the medical field. Proof of his excellence lies within his dramas. “Doctors are featured in Shakespeare’s plays more often than any other professionals,” (Andrews). In conclusion, Elizabethan medicine was very different from our present day practices and beliefs. Furthermore, the medical problems of the sixteenth century were very different from those of today. Medicine and health in the Elizabethan times was not the best, but it helped to achieve to greatness in the medical field we have today to say the least.
