St. Michael's Historical Library

Medical Glossary: Definitions and References

Medieval and Renaissance Terms, Phrases and Names

Terms:  26    Names:  13    Updated:  21 May 1997

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Medical Glossary

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z


A

Æsculapius
Ancient Greek mortal that acquired god-like healing powers, powers that depended upon his strict observance of taboos and sanctions; in breaking the trust, he began to resurrect the dead, overstepping the boundary of human medical possibilities; known for medicine's "rod and shield of Æsculapius"
ague
cold or fever, "the ague" was probably a malaria brought on by mosquitos in 16th Century England which was the last period that the country has large swamps before engineering and water projects -- and the weather -- cleared them out
apothecary
pharmacist
Aquinas, Thomas
Physician, Student of Albertus Magnus, Saint
Averroes
famous Persian physician
Avicenna
famous Arab physician

B

barber
minor surgeon limited to pulling teeth, removing stones, cutting hair and nails (usually un-licensed)
barber-surgeon
primary surgeon who supervises, teaches, conducts dissections, etc. (usually licensed)
Black Death
also known as just the "plague"; Bubonic and Pneumonic Plagues that ravaged Europe starting in the mid-14th Century and continuing with lesser outbreaks through the 19th Century; the Bubonic Plague was named for the "bubos" or red colored rings that appeared on the victim and it was not as fatal as the Pneumonic Plague which, as the name indicates, involved pneumonia symptons

C

caduceus
ancient symbol of a snake (or two) climbing a wooden staff (or pole)
catarrh
bronchitis
cautery
burning with hot stick or iron to seal a wound
chirurgeon
French for surgeon
Clowes, William
famous English Barber-Surgeon who worked with both armies and navy (during the Armada) and finally becomes "Serjeant-Surgeon" to Queen Elizabeth; also wrote several surgical treatises
Company (of Barber-Surgeons)
the guild comprised of the remnants of the Guild of Surgeons and the Company of Barbers merged together by King Henry VIII (also established as a guild in other European countries)
Cosmas, St.
martyr, one of two patron saints of physicians and surgeons (also see Damien)
cupping
drawing blood by heating the air in a glass cup while having it pressed against skin so that, upon removing the head source (usually a candle), the cooling air causes a vacuum

D

Damien
martyr, one of two patron saints of physicans and surgeons (also see Cosmas)
Dee, Dr. John
Queen's astrologer, scientist, mathematician, teacher, physician
doctor
anyone with a doctorate; not necessarily associated with practioners of medicine

E

F

G

Galen
Greek during Roman times who wrote first major anatomy which was used until the 19 Century
Gerard, John
author of Gerard's Herbal the Renaissance "bible" of herbology; most physicians and surgeons (of any worth) carried "Gerard's"

H

Hippocrates
the "father" of Western medicine; Greek during Roman times who wrote most of the major medical works used throughout Medieval and Renaissance times; created the "Hippocratic Oath" for practicioners of medicine to follow in treating their patients fairly
humour
the four humours or elements of the body: Phlegm (water), Melancholy (air), Blood (fire), Bile (earth); believed that all four must be maintained in balance and treatments were directed to raise or lower levels to achieve that balance

I

J

K

King's Evil
struma, touching by Royal Person was to have cured this (see scrofula)

L

lancet
small razor or cutting tool used to make an incision for the purposes of bleeding
leech
simple worm-like creature found in ponds and used to draw blood from patients; also used for the practioner who applies leeches
leeching
the drawing of blood through suction (see leeches)

M

Maxwell
for "Maccus' Spring" or "Maccus' Well"; family name derived for the supposed healing waters in a small shire in the north of England near the Scottish border (where a unicorn is said to have tipped his horn into the pond to purify it and give it healing powers); crest from Scottish church of St. Magnus, on the Isle of Skye, contains four crescent moons facing outwards separated by four "losenges" (elongated diamonds) sometimes with a unicorn's head in the middle
Maxwell, Magnus
(in)famous Barber-Surgeon of fame and fiction; portrayed as medical practioner in 16th Century with English militia and London's Great Company of Barber-Surgeons (guild); named for Albertus Magnus and Maccus' Well, both related to healing
mountebank
quack, seller of false potions, usually accompanied by a clown or monkey, stands on mount, bank or stage to make a (medicine) show

N

O

P

Padua
famous Renaissance medical school in Italy
Paracelsus
famous 16th Century German physician, Theordoric Bombastus Von Hohenheim, waxed "bombastic" over the deplorable state of medicine performed by his fellow medical practicioners in several books and treatises
Pare, Ambroise
French surgeon and author of major surgical works used throughout Europe (c 1550)
phlebotomy
the drawing of blood through draining
physick
the general practice and "mystery" of medicine and healing
plague
see Black Death

Q

Queen's Evil
struma, touching by Royal Person was to have cured this (see scrofula)

R

Rhazes
famous Arab physician and author of major medical texts

S

Salerno
famous Medieval medical school in Italy
scrofula
ulcerous condition of skin usually found on neck; also know as "the King's evil" believed to be cured by the laying on of royal hands (usually cure started by cleaning up the victim before the royal audience
serjeant-surgeon
Surgeon General of England
surgeon's mate
a shipboard surgeon/assistant

T

trefine
from Spanish "tres fines" or three ends, a tool used for drilling into the skull which consisted of a drill bit to make the hole, a lever or "elevator" to gently lift the piece of bone away, and a saw bit or "rasparator" to smooth the edges; although the name is similar to "trephine" (see below) and they are essentially the same operation, the two words have completely different roots
trephine
to drill into the skull; used in ancient times to let out the "evil" spirits that were causing the "falling sickness" (epilepsy?); some pre-Columbian American Indians used various shapes for their trephining holes such as diamonds, circles, etc. for no currently known reason
Trotula
also known as "Dame Trot"; woman physician and teacher at Salerno in 10-11th Century

U

V

venesection
the drawing of blood through cutting or suction
Vesalius, Andreas
author of the first major book of anatomical drawing used throughout Europe De Fabrica Humana

W

X

Y

Z


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