Medicine in the Middle Ages

In the Middle Ages millions of people died from such diseases as diphtheria, typhoid, fever, influenza and leprosy. But the worst disease at that time was the plague. Plague (the “Black death”) killed millions of people in Europe and Asia. Nobody knew how to fight with the disease and people just ran away from the infected areas. Leprosy was also incurable. Patients with leprosy lived in special colonies away from other people.

The first hospitals appeared in Ceylon in the fifth century B.C. and in India in 260 B.C. During the Middle Ages hospitals were founded in Italy, France, England and other European countries. Monks and nuns cared for patients in hospitals. They were not doctors ornurses and they did not cure patients. They just gave patients food and a bed and said prayers for them. Monks and nuns cared for many patients who had the plague because the patients had to stay in hospital until they died.

At the same time in the Middle East there were many hospitals. Many doctors and nurses cared for patients there. These doctors also made medicines for patients. They treated everyone who came to them. There were different wards for different diseases in these hospitals. There were also pools and fountains because doctors thought that the sound of moving water helped patients to rest.

Barbers were the first surgeons. People could go to barber shops where the barbers cut hair. They could also pull out sore teeth. Later barbers started to treat wounds from fights and cut off arms or legs which were badly wounded.

Vocabulary Exercises

Find the following words and phrases in the text.

Дифтерия, брюшной тиф, лихорадка, грипп, чума, бороться с заболеванием, зараженные территории, неизлечимый, монах, монахиня, заботиться, пациент, медсестра, читать молитвы, изготовлять лекарства, палата, отдыхать, цирюльник, хирург, выдернуть больной зуб, тяжело раненый

Fill in the blanks

The worst …. in the Middle Ages was the plague. Nobody knew how to …. with the disease. Monks and …. did not cure patients, they just gave patients food and a bed. Doctors in the Middle Ages made …. from plants. Acupuncture doctors put thin …. into a patient’s body at special places called …. points.

Тема 3.2. Hippocrates – «The Father of Medicine»; the Hippocratic Oath / Гиппократ – отец медицины; Клятва Гиппократа

We read / Мы читаем

Read the text and do the exercises after it / Прочитайте текст и выполните задания после него

Hippocrates – «The Father of Medicine»

Hippocrates was born in 460 B.C. on the island (остров) of Cos. He was the son of a doctor. Hippocrates studied medicine and then he went from town to town where he practiced the art of medicine. It is known that he drove out (изгнал) the plague (/pleig/) from Athens by lighting fires in the street of the city.

Hippocrates was known as an excellent doctor and a teacher of medicine. He established medical schools in Athens and in other towns. He wrote several books and many case histories (история болезни). Hippocrates taught his pupils to examine the patient very attentively and to give him quick help. He created medicine on the basis of experience. He taught that every disease was a natural process and it had natural causes. Hippocrates treated diseases by exercise, massage, salt water baths, diet and suitable (подходящий) medicine. He observed diseases such a pneumonia, tuberculosis and malaria and added to the medical language such words as chronic, crisis, relapse (рецидив) and convalescence (выздоровлении).

Hippocrates made medicine an art, a science and a profession.

Hippocrates is the most famous of all the Greek doctors. He is often called «the father of Medicine» and some of his ideas are still important.

Doctors in many countries take the Hippocratic Oath (клятва). It is a collection of promises (обещание), written by Hippocrates, which forms the basis of the medical code of honour (кодекс чести). The Oath of Hippocrates contains many of his basic thoughts and principles.

Find the sentences with the verbs “to be”, “to have”. Pay attention to their translation. Найдите предложения с глаголом to be и to have. Обратите внимание на их перевод.

Match the words in list A with the words in list B / Соотнесите выражения в левой и правой колонке:

made medicine an art, a science and a profession	обучал своих учеников осматривать пациента очень внимательно
the Hippocratic Oath	практиковал (учил искусству медицины)
was born in	сделал медицину искусством, наукой и профессией
practiced the art of medicine	клятва Гиппократа
drove out (изгнал) the plague [pleig] from	изгнал чуму из …
an excellent doctor and a teacher of medicine	родился в
taught his pupils to examine the patient very attentively	принимать клятву Гиппократа
added to the medical language	отличный врач и учитель медицины
treated diseases by exercise, massage, salt water baths, diet and suitable (подходящий) medicine	Добавил в медицинский язык
take the Hippocratic Oath (клятва)	лечил заболевания упражнениями, массажем, солевыми ванными, диетой и подходящими лекарствами