History Key Words

A belief, not based on knowledge, but in the supernatural like God, witchcraft or astrology.

A building where monks live, eat and pray

‘Bad air’ which was blamed for spreading disease

Study of the planets and its effect on humans

Used human urine to help diagnose an illness

A charm that brought ‘protection’ from disease

To rid the body of a ‘excess’ like blood or vomit

To open a vein or apply leeches to draw blood from a patient; restoring the balance of the humours

Using glass cups to draw blood to the surface

A journey to a religious shrine and relics to show your love of God and to cure an illness

A medieval pharmacists or chemist

A male medically trained doctor

A female healer, who used magic or herbal remedies to cure illnesses.

Men hired to clean the streets of muck

A widespread outbreak of a disease

A term to describe the bubonic plague

People who whipped themselves to show God they repented their sins and wanted mercy.

A fatal epidemic disease, e.g. the Black Death

Criminals would be sentenced to death by vivisection where their bodies would be cut open for medical examination

Separating the sick from the healthy to stop the spread of disease. Those who were sick could leave the quarantined area.

Early chemistry, trying to turn one material into another.

The study of the human body and how it works

Dissecting a body after someone has died to establish cause of death

Finding out what disease someone has by e.g. taking their pulse and observing the patient

Intellectual movement which promoted a love of learning and discovery

A 17th century version of a medieval theriaca, used to treat the plague

A new invention that allowed things to be magnified

A hospital for people suffering from infectious diseases, e.g plague

The first ever scientific journal, first published in 1665 by the Royal Society (and still is today)

The process of creating a book. This was developed during the 1440s in Germany

A group of people interested in science who met weekly. They had a laboratory with microscopes. King Charles II was a patron

A new invention that allowed someone’s temperature to be taken

New beginnings/ Rebirth

A drug made from bacteria that kill other bacteria and so cure an infection or illness.

A group of related diseases. Cells divide and spread into the surrounding tissue.

Technology that replicates the function of the kidneys.

Deoxyribonucleic acid, the molecule that genes are made of.

Developed 1931. Allows doctors to see cells in fine detail.

Medical treatment using normal genes to replace defective ones.

A chemical that kills a particular bacteria and nothing else

Implanted technology that regulates heartbeat.

The first antibiotic drug produced from the mould of penicillin to treat infections.

A contagious disease that can cause paralysis and death

Treatment of a disease, such as cancer, by the use of chemicals

Bacteria that are not affected/destroyed by antibiotics or cleaning

When a faulty or damaged organ (e.g. liver) is swapped with a healthy one through surgery

Technology using particular light rays . Used in WW1 to locate bullets in the body.