Medicine in Shakespeare's Era
Majerski 1
Alexander Majerski
Mr. Jenson
English 11-B
11 April 2009 Elizabethan Medicine in the Age of Shakespeare
The Elizabethan era, also known as the age of Shakespeare, refers to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558 - 1603). Unlike the new found passion for art and culture during this English Renaissance, including. the expansion of Elizabethan theatre and Shakespeare 's new style, the advancement of medicine fell far behind. (Rowse 2000)
This lack of interest in medicine and research in Shakespeare 's England directly contributed to the short lifespan of her people. Men lived to an average age of 47, and approximately forty per cent of children died. This existed during some of the worst times in history, as typhoid fever and the Bubonic plague were rampant. World travel and exploration brought back diseases like smallpox and syphilis, which could easily be passed from person to person by physical contact, or drinking and eating. These afflictions came about unknowingly without the benefit of research on causes, or treatment or cure. The Bubonic Plague, known as the Black Death, produced high fevers, headaches, sweats, chills, congestion, extreme stomach pain, cramping, and eventual death. It was spread by fleas and transmitted by rodents, as was typhoid fever. Wealthy Elizabethans ate almost all meat and suffered from gout. Malnutrition and lack of vitamins in the poorer classes, caused scurvy, toothaches and severe gum disease. Because medicine was so basic, solutions to physical problems relied on superstition,
Majerski 2 luck, magic, herbs and potions. Anemia, rheumatism, arthritis, tuberculosis and dysentery. were common. Elizabethan women could easily die in childbirth, and influenza was common. Sexually transmitted diseases, such as syphilis, were also prevalent. (Lace 2005)
The most followed medical theory during the Elizabethan era was Galen 's teachings that living things were composed of "humors", or
Alexander Majerski
Mr. Jenson
English 11-B
11 April 2009 Elizabethan Medicine in the Age of Shakespeare
The Elizabethan era, also known as the age of Shakespeare, refers to the reign of Queen Elizabeth I (1558 - 1603). Unlike the new found passion for art and culture during this English Renaissance, including. the expansion of Elizabethan theatre and Shakespeare 's new style, the advancement of medicine fell far behind. (Rowse 2000)
This lack of interest in medicine and research in Shakespeare 's England directly contributed to the short lifespan of her people. Men lived to an average age of 47, and approximately forty per cent of children died. This existed during some of the worst times in history, as typhoid fever and the Bubonic plague were rampant. World travel and exploration brought back diseases like smallpox and syphilis, which could easily be passed from person to person by physical contact, or drinking and eating. These afflictions came about unknowingly without the benefit of research on causes, or treatment or cure. The Bubonic Plague, known as the Black Death, produced high fevers, headaches, sweats, chills, congestion, extreme stomach pain, cramping, and eventual death. It was spread by fleas and transmitted by rodents, as was typhoid fever. Wealthy Elizabethans ate almost all meat and suffered from gout. Malnutrition and lack of vitamins in the poorer classes, caused scurvy, toothaches and severe gum disease. Because medicine was so basic, solutions to physical problems relied on superstition,
Majerski 2 luck, magic, herbs and potions. Anemia, rheumatism, arthritis, tuberculosis and dysentery. were common. Elizabethan women could easily die in childbirth, and influenza was common. Sexually transmitted diseases, such as syphilis, were also prevalent. (Lace 2005)
The most followed medical theory during the Elizabethan era was Galen 's teachings that living things were composed of "humors", or
Cited: Brown, Ivor. Shakespeare in His Time. London: Nelson Ltd., 1967. Burton, Elizabeth Bynum, W F., and Roy Porter. Companion Encyclopedia of the History of Medicine. London: Routledge, 1993. Davis, W.S. Life in Elizabethan Days: a picture of a Typical English Community at the End of the Sixteent Century. London: Harper , 1930. Holmes, Martin. Elizabethan London. London: Praeger, 1969. Lace, W "Medicine, Renaissance." The World Book Multimedia Encyclopedia. 1995 Ed. McGrew, Robert E., comp. Encyclopedia of Medical History. McGraw-Hill Book Company, 1985. Picard, L. Elizabeth 's London: Everyday Life in Elizabethan London, St. Martin 's Griffen, 2005.