Medieval Health Care

Health Care in the Medieval Era was very different to today. No one knew what caused diseases back then. There was no knowledge of germs. Medieval peasants had been taught by the church that any illness was a punishment from God for sinful behaviour. Therefore, any illness was self-imposed, the result of the individual's behaviour.

Other theories put forward for diseases included "humours". It was believed that the body had four humours (fluids in the body) and if these became unbalanced the person became ill.

As no-one knew how diseases spread, no-one realized that a whole village living close to each other --- family upon family as it were --- meant that diseases, such as the black death, became rampant when they appeared and whole villages were wiped out.

Physicians, although considered skilled, had a very poor knowledge of the human anatomy when compared with our doctors today. These physicians charged for their services which meant that only the rich could afford their services. "Cures" included bleeding and the use of herbs. Interestingly --- we still use herbs today in many medicines.

What Medieval People Wore

What was worn depended on who the person was. A rich person would probably own a variety of clothes, in the latest styles and colours. A poor peasant may only have owned one tunic. It was possible to obtain silks and other luxurious materials from abroad, but these were very expensive. most clothing was made of wool. This meant that most clothing in the Medieval Era was itchy, difficult to wash and dry, and very hot in the Summer. Medieval clothes provided information about the status of the person wearing them.

Natural dyes found in the Medieval Era meant that even a peasant could still look colourful. Plants, roots, lichen, tree bark, nuts, crushed insects, mollusks and iron oxide could achieve nearly every colour of the rainbow.

Through out the Medieval Era laws were passed to regulate what could and could not be worn by members of different social classes. These laws, known as Sumptuary Laws, not only attempted to maintain the separation of the classes, they also addressed excessive expenditures on all sorts of items.

What The Medieval Ate

                                                           WHAT THE LORD ATE
Breakfast was eaten between 6 and 7 in the morning. It was a leisurely affair. A Lord might have white bread; 3 meat dishes; 3 fish dishes (more fish on a saint's day) and wine or ale to drink.
Dinner was eaten between 11 in the morning and 2 in the afternoon. A Lord would usually have 3 courses but each course might have between 4 or 6 courses in it. There would be meat and fish on offer with wine and ale. It is likely that only small portions from each dish was eaten with the rest meant to be thrown away --- though the Lord's kitchen workers and servants might be able to help themselves if the Lord was not looking.
Supper was eaten between 6 and 7 in the evening. It was very similar to dinner but with slightly more unusual dishes such as pigeon pie, woodcock and sturgeon. Wine and ale was also available.

                                                                    What The Peasant Ate
Breakfast was eaten at sunrise. It would consist of dark bread (probably made of rye) with ale to drink.
Dinner was what we call a "Ploughman's lunch" as it was eaten in the fields where the peasant was working. He would have dark bread and cheese. If he was lucky, he might have some meat. He would carry a flask of ale to drink. He would have this meal at about 11 to 12 o'clock.
Supper would be eaten towards sunset, so this would vary with the seasons. The main meal was vegetable pottage. Again, if the family were lucky, there might be some meat or fish to go around. Bread was always available with ale.

THE MEDIEVAL ERA

The Medieval Era --- so much is known about this Era yet very few have done the reading. When we hear the word "Medieval", we think of William the Conqueror and the Bayeux Tapestry and even visualize the scenes we have seen in films. Yes, what was it really like to live in this "Era" ? What did the people eat and wear ? What languages were spoken ? What was the 'health' situation ? The history books are full of answers and pictures of how really it was like in the Medieval Era.

This period of history lasted from 476AD until around the beginning of the 15th Century. It started when the Western Roman Empire ended and merged into the Renaissance and Age of Discovery. History itself is divided into three periods, which were the Early Medieval History, High Medieval History and the Late Medieval History. The Early Medieval Ages ( Early Middle Ages) were widely characterized by invasions as it marked the end of the Roman Empire. Meanwhile, great population growth was experienced during the High Medieval period between 1000 and 1347. This population growth then declined at the beginning of the 14th Century due to war, famine and plagues.

What Did The Ancient Egyptians Eat ?

While the elite dined off meat, fruit, vegetables and honey-sweetened cakes enhanced by the finest of wines, the poor were limited to a more monotonous diet of bread, fish, beans, onions and garlic washed down with a sweet, soupy beer.

The River Nile had a regular cycle that gave Egypt her 3 seasons : the time of inundation (when the land was covered  with water), the time of coming forth (when the crops sprouted in the fertile fields), and the time of Summer (when the harvested ground baked beneath the hot sun.)

Most years saw a magnificent harvest of cereal (barley and emmer wheat, which could be used to make bread, cakes and beer) ; vegetables (beans, lentils, onions, garlic, leeks lettuces and cucumbers), and fruits (including grapes, figs and dates). In addition there was abundant wild fowl and Nile fish, cattle farmed by the wealthy, and smaller animals (sheep,goats,pigs,geese) kept by the more humble households.