Pearson Edexcel · GCSE · History
Course version: 1HI0 · Version from Sept 2016
C1500–c1700: The Medical Renaissance in England - 2 Approaches to…
Full specification wording
Option 11: c1500–c1700: The Medical Renaissance in England - 2 Approaches to prevention and treatment: Continuity and change in approaches to prevention, treatment and care in the community and in hospitals.
Between 1500 and 1700, approaches to prevention, treatment and care exhibited continuity and change.
Checked against the Pearson Edexcel 1HI0 specification (opens in a new tab) on .
- Point 1 of 2
- 3 key terms
Study notes
From the checked teaching notes for this specification point.
The idea
Between 1500 and 1700, approaches to prevention, treatment and care exhibited continuity and change. Prevention still relied on avoiding miasma and practising moderation, though the regimen sanitatis was less strictly followed. Traditional treatments like bloodletting and herbal remedies remained common, as did the reliance on women for care in the community. Changes emerged with the introduction of new chemical treatments (iatrochemistry) and exotic herbs like cinchona bark. Hospital care experienced significant disruption due to the Dissolution of the Monasteries, closing many Church-run institutions. Eventually, some hospitals were re-founded by town councils, slowly shifting their focus from mere hospitality to treating the sick.
What earns the marks
- Describe continuities in approaches to prevention, such as avoiding miasma and practising moderation.
- Explain continuities in treatment and care in the community, such as the ongoing use of humoral treatments and traditional herbal remedies administered by women.
- Explain the introduction of new treatments, including chemical remedies (iatrochemistry) and new global ingredients like cinchona bark.
- Analyse the impact of the Dissolution of the Monasteries on hospital care, noting the initial decline in available care for the sick.
- Evaluate the transition of hospitals from religious institutions offering hospitality to secular establishments beginning to focus on medical treatment.
Common mistakes and how to put them right
Omitting approaches to prevention.
Put it right: Ensure you discuss preventative measures like avoiding miasma and the evolving use of the regimen sanitatis, not just treatments.
Believing that new scientific ideas completely replaced old treatments.
Put it right: Emphasise that despite new anatomical knowledge, everyday treatments like bloodletting and herbal remedies continued.
Ignoring the role of care in the community.
Put it right: Highlight that the vast majority of people were still treated at home by female family members or local wise women.
Exam tips
- Structure answers by clearly separating continuities from changes in prevention, treatment, and care to directly address the specification.
- Provide specific examples of new treatments, such as the use of antimony for purging or cinchona bark for ague (malaria).
Try the lesson
The start of the Option 11: c1500–c1700: The Medical Renaissance in England - 2 Approaches to prevention and treatment: Continuity and change in approaches to prevention, treatment and care in the community and in hospitals. lesson, made from checked teaching notes for this specification point.
Have a go first
During the period c1500–c1700, who continued to provide the majority of medical care and treatment for ordinary people in the community?
Listen
Between 1500 and 1700, approaches to prevention, treatment and care exhibited continuity and change. Prevention still relied on avoiding miasma and practising moderation, though the regimen sanitatis was less strictly followed. Traditional treatments like bloodletting and herbal remedies remained common, as did the reliance on women for care in the community. Changes emerged with the introduction of new chemical treatments (iatrochemistry) and exotic herbs like cinchona bark. Hospital care experienced significant disruption due to the Dissolution of the Monasteries, closing many Church-run institutions. Eventually, some hospitals were re-founded by town councils, slowly shifting their focus from mere hospitality to treating the sick. A strong answer earns marks for these points. Describe continuities in approaches to prevention, such as avoiding miasma and practising moderation. Explain continuities in treatment and care in the community, such as the ongoing use of humoral treatments and traditional herbal remedies administered by women. Explain the introduction of new treatments, including chemical remedies (iatrochemistry) and new global ingredients like cinchona bark. Analyse the impact of the Dissolution of the Monasteries on hospital care, noting the initial decline in available care for the sick. A common slip: Omitting approaches to prevention. Instead, Ensure you discuss preventative measures like avoiding miasma and the evolving use of the regimen sanitatis, not just treatments. Exam tip: Structure answers by clearly separating continuities from changes in prevention, treatment, and care to directly address the specification.
See it
Key words
Say what each word means before you turn the card.
Continuity vs Change
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Institutional care
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
Secularisation of medicine
Try answering aloud or in your head before turning the card.
See every definition
- Continuity vs Change
- The balance between approaches to prevention, treatment and care that stayed the same and those that were altered between 1500 and 1700.
- Institutional care
- Care provided in hospitals, which were disrupted by the Dissolution of the Monasteries and later re-founded by town councils.
- Secularisation of medicine
- The slow shift of hospitals from religious institutions offering hospitality to secular establishments beginning to focus on medical treatment.
Label the diagram
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1Box 1
2Box 2
3Box 3
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