In-depth, detailed notes on the AQA GCSE History topic of Health and the People made from using the Hodder Education textbook
*These notes enabled me to achieve a Grade 9 in my own GCSEs*
Hope you enjoy,
Kelly x
Factors:
• Religion & Superstition
• War
• Chance
• Government
• Communication
• Science & Technology
• Individuals
• Norman rule
• 1066 to 1087 – William the first - 1066 – The Battle of Hastings
• -1066 – The Doomsday book
• 1087 to 1100 – William the second
• 1100 to 1135 – Henry the first - 1123 – St. Bartholomew’s hospital founded in London
• 1135 to 1154 – Empress Mathilda and Steven of Blois (civil war)
• Plantagenet rule
• 1154 to 1189 – Henry the second - 1170 – The death of Thomas Beckett
• 1189 to 1199 – Richard the Lionheart (Crusades)
• 1199 to 1216 – John the first (Magna Carta)
• 1216 to 1272 – Henry the third – 1230 – Compendium medicine written by Gilbert Eagle
• -1247 – St. Mary of Bethlehem hospital established
• 1272 to 1307 – Edward the first - 1277 – Roger Bacon imprisoned
• 1307 to 1327 – Edward the second
• 1327 to 1377 – Edward the third – 1337 – Start of the hundred years war
• - 1348 – Black death arrives in England
• -1350 – The practise of surgery published
• 1377 to 1399 – Richard the second - 1379 – the death of St. John of Bridlington
• Lancaster rule
• 1399 to 1413 – Henry the fourth
• 1413 to 1422 – Henry the fifth (Agincourt)
• 1422 to 1461 – Henry the sixth – 1455 – start of the war of the roses
•
• York Rule
• 1461 to 1483 – Edward the fourth – 1476 - Caxton prints his first book in England
• 1483 – Edward the fifth
• 1483 to 1485 – Richard the third – 1485 - Death of Richard the third at the battle of
Bosworth
, • Tudor rule
• 1485 to 1508 – Henry the seventh – 1492 – Columbus sails to America
Medieval Timeline:
1230 - “Compendium Medicine” is written by Gilbert Eagle. A comprehensive European and Arab
textbook
1250 – Illustration shows a doctor checking the patient’s urine and pulse
1348 – Black Death arrives in England
1628 – William Harvey proves the circulation of blood in the heart
1724 – Guy Hospital is founded in London
1798 – Edward Jenner develops cowpox as a protection to smallpox
1847 – James Simpson uses chloroform as an anaesthetic
1848 – 1st Public Health Act is introduced
1858 – Joseph Balzalgette begins building a network of sewers under London’s streets
1867 – Joseph Lister publishes description of carbolic antiseptic in surgery
1882 – Robert Koch’s work on the identification of Tuberculosis is publicised in Britain
1906 – The first of the Liberal Social Reforms: free meals to the poorest children, free medical checks
and free treatment is introduced
1928 – Alexander Fleming discovers Penicillin
1948 – NHS comes into operation
1953 – Francis Crick and James Watson publish their research on the structure of DNA
1963 – Liver transplant is carried out in America
1978 – 1st “test tube” baby is born
2003 – Human Genome Project is declared complete, huge breakthrough in understanding how
genes genes help determine who a person is
Being ill in medieval times:
• Life = Nasty, harder & short
• How long you lived + chances of surviving illness = who you are + what treatment you
received
• Rich = more likely to afford treatment by doctor
• Find medical practitioner in town than elsewhere
• Towns -> more deadly than villages
• Young = more at risk than adults (winter + summer = problems)
• Men -> live past early childhood
• Women -> live past childbearing age
• 1276 – 1300 life expectancy for male was 31.3 yrs
• Childbirth = dangerous
• 30% died before reaching 7
• 2014 – 2016 life expectancy for male = 79.2 yrs
female = 82.9 yrs
Medieval diseases:
• Main Killers:
➢ Famine
➢ War
➢ Malnourishment
, • ~10% of England’s population in early 14th century died of these diseases
• Medieval people didn’t understand causes -> focused on curing symptoms
• Modern microbiologists recreated Bald’s Leechbook’s eye cure = as effective as medicine
used to treat superbug MRSA
Saint Anthony’s Fire – caused by fungus growing on rye stored in damp conditions. Once rye was
ground into flour and baked into bread, those who ate it developed painful rashes,
hallucinations and died
Dysentery – King John of England died from dysentery at Newark Castle 18th October 1216
Typhoid – This was caused by a germ living in urine and poo. It contaminated water or food and
could be carried by flies that landed on food. Symptoms included headache, fever and
diarrhoea
Smallpox – This was a rash that turned into huge pus-filled blisters all over the body and when the
blisters dropped off they leave deep scars
Measles – The first description of measles and its distinction from smallpox and chicken pox is
credited by Arab physician Al Razi (865-925) who published “The Book of Smallpox and
Measles”
Tuberculosis – The illness was known in England and France as “king’s evil” and it was widely
believed that persons affected could be healed after a royal touch (relics)
Arthritis – Archaeologists found high levels of arthritis in a study of 400 medieval skeletons
“Swearing Sickness” – A mysterious and highly contagious disease that struck England in a series of
epidemics beginning in 1485. The last outbreak occurred in 1551, after which the disease
suddenly disappeared. The onset of the disease was dramatic and sudden, with death often
occurring within hours
Leprosy – A disfiguring skin disease caused by the bacterium “mycobacterium leprae” found in dirty
conditions. It attacks and destroys the extremities of the body, particularly the toes and
fingers, and sometimes the nose
1.2 Where did medieval ideas about health come from?
Greeks:
• Asclepions – temple of healing (hospitals)
• Aware of importance of clean running water + sewers
Romans:
• Went to great lengths to bring fresh water + bath-houses + underground heating
The influence of Arab Medicine:
• Lot of medical knowledge was lost in “Dark Ages” until Avi Senna arrived and translated the
words of Ancient Greek and Rome into Arabic
• Passed onto Western Europe
, • Arab Medicine was very advanced
• Avi Senna wrote 2 books, “Book of Healing” + “Canon of Medicine” -> printed 60 times from
1516-1574
• Al Razi wrote 1st authentic description of symptoms smallpox
• Islamic hospitals were both medical schools and hospitals and had lecture rooms, libraries
and pharmacies
• Cleanliness = encouraged -> fountains + cooling breezes circulated
Arab Medicine:
• More advanced in Golden Age (8-13th)
Government:
• Ruled by Caliph Harun – stability allowed him to invest money in hospitals and universities
• Set up new hospital in Baghdad and across Islamic Empire
• Other hospitals for mental illnesses
Religion:
• Koran, holiest book book of Islam contained words of Prophet Muhammad, tells Muslims
that taking care of the sick and needy is a vital part of Islamic faith
• Didn’t see mentally ill people as being possessed by evil spirits
Education:
• Muslims admired educated people and Arab scholars collected works and translated Galen’s
and Hippocrate’s work
• Centre for translation of Greek books set up in Baghdad
• Hospitals contained: lecture rooms and libraries
• Clinical observation
War:
• By 8th century, established a single empire ruled over by Caliph Harun (786-809AD)
• Few wars for the next 2 centuries so less money is wasted
Avi Senna (980-1037AD):
➢ 40 of his texts survived and were very important and famous
➢ “Canon of Medicine” + “The Book of Healing”
➢ Printed more than x60 from 1516-1574
➢ Described the symptoms and spread of a contagious disease
➢ Influenced by Galen’s Theory of Opposites and said that leeches should be kept for a day
and then they should be squeezed to eject the contents of their stomachs
➢ Developed a process for testing new medicines
Muhammad ibn Zakariya al-Razi (Rhazes) (865-925AD):
➢ Said that doctors should be highly trained and keep advancing their own knowledge by
studying medical books
➢ First written account which describes the symptoms of smallpox and offers an explanation of
its cause
➢ “The Book of Smallpox and Measles”
➢ “The Virtuous Life” -> he criticises Plato, Aristotle and Galen’s ideas
➢ 150 Books
Abu Al-Qasim (Albucasis) (936-1013AD):
➢ He was ahead of his time, used catgut for internal stitching as would dissolve and reduce
infection and used ligatures
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