This deep dive covers Medieval Treatments for Plague within The Black Death for GCSE History. Revise The Black Death in Medicine Through Time for GCSE History with 8 exam-style questions and 5 flashcards. This topic appears regularly enough that it should still be part of a steady revision cycle. It is section 3 of 14 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 3 of 14
Practice
8 questions
Recall
5 flashcards
🧠 Medieval Treatments for Plague
Bleeding & Purging (purging: using laxatives to expel "excess" humours from the body) — Based on Four Humours. Leeches or lancets used to remove "bad blood." Laxatives to purge the body. Often made patients weaker.
Theriac — A mixture of up to 70 ingredients including opium, viper flesh, herbs. Expensive, useless, but popular among the wealthy.
Prayer & Penance — Flagellants whipped themselves in public. Churches held special plague masses. People carried holy relics.
Isolation — Some towns quarantined the sick. Milan walled up infected houses (including healthy family members). This actually helped!