8-4Medicine

=WHAT WERE COMMON MEDICAL BELIEFS, PRACTICES, AND MEDICINES IN ELIZABETHAN ENGLAND? = //Answer prepared by: Bradley S.// Medieval Medicine in Elizabethan Times Medical beliefs and practices from Shakespeare’s time are much different than they are today. One of the most common beliefs from Shakespeare’s time is that man contained four fluids – blood, mucus, yellow bile, and black bile. It was believed that each fluid controlled a different emotion – happiness, sleepiness, angriness, and sadness (respectively). In addition, it was believed that too much of any fluid caused disease, and to cure it the bad fluid had to be reduced, usually by letting, or draining the fluid. On top of all of this, it was also believed that the spleen controlled rash thoughts and actions. “How could anyone believe that nonsense?” you may ask yourself. According to Andy Patterson and Bethany White, authors of the essay Elizabethan Medicine, ‘Medicine remained mostly medieval in Elizabethan times. Many physicians based their philosophies on the teachings of Aristotle and Hippocrates. These beliefs were widely accepted during the medieval period. However, the emphasis on magic and astrology diminished in Elizabethan times. Yet, some physicians still believed that if the planets were out of line, an individual would get sick.’ It’s a good thing that medical beliefs have changed a great deal since 1600, or else we would still believe that our emotions are controlled by an imbalance of bodily fluids. Works Cited Cefrey, Holly. Epidemics - Deadly Diseases Throughout History: The Plague. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, Inc., 2001.

Patterson, Andy, and Bethany White. "Elizabethan Medicine." Elizabethan England. Springfield Public Schools. 11 Mar 2009 http://www.springfield.k12.il.us/schools/springfield/eliz/elizabethanmedicine.html.

Ramsey, Lia. "Medical Beliefs and Practices." Elizabethan England. Springfield Public Schools. 11 Mar 2009 http://www.springfield.k12.il.us/schools/springfield/eliz/Medbelprac.html.