Logan Reid
In medieval England, hospitals were largely run by the Church, with monks and nuns taking on the responsibility of ensuring the hospitals were kept clean and bedding was regularly washed. The Church taught that it was a Christian's religious duty to care for the sick. In the Middle Ages, there were four main types of hospitals: for lepers; for poor (and sick) pilgrims; for the poor and infirm; and almshouses or bedehouses. However, only about 10% of medieval hospitals actually treated the sick. The majority were almshouses that provided basic nursing and accommodation for the elderly and infirm. Lepers were not allowed to receive care in hospitals and were instead cared for in separate facilities called leper houses, usually on the outskirts of towns, to isolate them from the rest of the community.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Type of hospital | Lepers, poor and sick pilgrims, the poor and infirm, almshouses or bedehouses |
| Patients | Poor pilgrims, sick, old, infirm, women in labour, lepers |
| Location | Italy, Croatia, England, Germany, France, Greece, Middle East, Byzantine Empire |
| Ownership | Church, monasteries, state |
| Funding | Community, state, citizens |
| Medical treatment | Medical practitioners, barber and lower medical personnel, monks, nuns |
| Basis of treatment | Religious, supernatural, rational ideas |
| Number of beds | 12, 20, 225, 30, 1200 |
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What You'll Learn
Those with leprosy were isolated in 'leper houses'
In the Middle Ages, leprosy was a skin disease that caused fingers and toes to fall off, hair loss, and eventually death. It was believed to be highly contagious and divinely ordained, leading to enormous stigma against those suffering from it. As a result, those with leprosy were often separated from the community and made to live in 'leper houses' or 'leprosaria'. These were separate facilities from hospitals, as it was recognised that the disease could spread quickly to other patients, even if the method of transmission was unknown.
Leper houses were established as early as 460 in St-Oyen, 570 in Chalon-sur-Saône, and 634 in Verdun, with management often provided by monastic orders. The area of modern-day Belgium alone may have had up to 700 or 800 leper houses before the Crusades. Some leper houses were located in remote areas to ensure isolation, while others were situated on main roads, where donations could be collected for their upkeep.
In medieval England, hospitals were mostly owned and run by the Church, often linked to monasteries. While hospitals provided care for patients, they did not offer cures. Most hospitals accommodated no more than 20 residents, with 12 being the most common number, along with a priest. The decision to admit someone to a hospital generally rested with the patron, and prospective entrants sometimes sought help from influential backers who might also provide the entrance fee.
By the late Middle Ages, many leper houses no longer housed individuals with leprosy, instead accommodating the old and infirm. This shift may be due to the fact that what was classified as leprosy in medieval times covers a wide range of skin conditions that would be classified as distinct afflictions today. There is even doubt that the current definition of leprosy can be retrospectively applied to the medieval condition.
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The poor, sick, and travellers were offered charity
During the medieval period, the term "hospital" included hostels for travellers, dispensaries for the poor, clinics and surgeries for the injured, and homes for the blind, lame, elderly, and mentally ill. The secondary function of these hospitals was to offer charity to the poor, sick, and travellers. This charity took several forms, including long-term maintenance of the infirm, medium-term care of the sick, short-term hospitality for travellers, and regular distribution of alms to the poor.
While most hospitals in medieval England were owned and run by the Church, they were not available to everyone. The Church held great power over medical practice, and hospitals and physicians were a privilege only the rich could afford. The poor were usually treated by female family members or women within their community. However, the Church taught that it was a Christian's religious duty to care for the sick, and monasteries developed as centres of medical practice, providing community care for the sick, poor, and needy.
The type of care provided by hospitals varied. Some hospitals that perceived themselves as primarily religious houses turned away the sick or dying, fearing that difficult healthcare situations would distract from worship. However, other hospitals, such as St. James of Northallerton, St. Giles Hospital of Norwich, and St. Leonard's Hospital of York, had specific ordinances stating that they must cater to the sick and that "all who entered with ill health should be allowed to stay until they recovered or died".
Lepers were not allowed to receive care in hospitals and were instead cared for in separate facilities called leper houses, usually on the outskirts of towns, to isolate them from the rest of the community. It was believed that leprosy was highly contagious and could quickly spread to other patients.
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Medical treatment was a privilege of the rich
In medieval England, medical treatment was largely a privilege of the rich. The Church held great power over the practice of medicine, and hospitals were owned and run by the Church. Most hospitals were actually almshouses—housing provided by charities for the elderly who could no longer provide for themselves. These almshouses provided basic nursing but no medical treatment. Only about 10% of medieval hospitals cared for the sick in the way that modern hospitals do.
Medieval physicians trained at a university for at least seven years, studying the books of ancient physicians such as Hippocrates and Galen. However, physicians were expensive, and only the rich could afford to see them. The poor were treated by female family members or women within their community. Hospitals in medieval times provided care for patients, not cures. The secondary function of medieval hospitals was charity to the poor, sick, and travellers. This charity was provided in different ways, including long-term maintenance of the infirm, medium-term care of the sick, short-term hospitality to travellers, and regular distribution of alms to the poor.
The degree of charity varied among hospitals. Some institutions that perceived themselves mainly as religious houses or places of hospitality turned away the sick or dying in fear that difficult healthcare would distract from worship. Other hospitals, such as St. James of Northallerton, St. Giles Hospital of Norwich, and St. Leonard's Hospital of York, contained specific ordinances stating they must cater to the sick and that "all who entered with ill health should be allowed to stay until they recovered or died".
Lepers were not allowed to receive care in hospitals. They were cared for in separate facilities called leper houses, which were on the outskirts of towns so that they could be isolated from the rest of the community. It was believed that leprosy was highly contagious, causing fingers and toes to fall off, hair to fall out, and eventually leading to death.
The first hospitals were founded when Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire. In the early medieval period, hospitals, poor houses, hostels, and orphanages began to spread from the Middle East, driven by the principle of charity to help those most in need. In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Benedictines order built a network of independent hospitals, initially to provide general care to the sick and wounded and then for the treatment of syphilis and isolation of patients with communicable diseases.
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Most hospitals were run by the Church
In medieval England, the Church held significant influence over the practice of medicine and patient care. Most hospitals were owned and operated by the Church, often linked to monasteries and religious houses. The Church taught that it was a Christian's religious duty to care for the sick, and it provided hospital care and funded universities where doctors received their training.
The term "hospital" in the Middle Ages encompassed a variety of institutions, including hostels for travellers, dispensaries for the poor, clinics and surgeries for the injured, and homes for the blind, lame, elderly, and mentally ill. Almshouses, another form of hospital, were primarily housing for the elderly and infirm, providing basic nursing care rather than medical treatment. Poor pilgrims often stayed overnight or temporarily in hospitals, and some hospitals specifically catered to sick pilgrims.
Medieval hospitals were influenced by religious and spiritual ideas, with monks and nuns playing a crucial role in ensuring cleanliness and patient comfort. They changed and washed bedding regularly, and patients could participate in church services from their beds. The concept of charity was central to these hospitals, reflecting the Christian doctrine of offering mercy and charity to all, regardless of status.
However, it is important to note that medical care by physicians or doctors was relatively rare in medieval hospitals. The decision to admit patients was often made by hospital administrators or influential backers, and physicians were typically only available to the wealthy. The poor were usually treated by female family members or women within their community.
The role of the Church in medicine began to change with the French Revolution, when the cure of the body and care for the soul became separate. Physicians took charge of medical institutions, and healthcare became recognised as a fundamental human right rather than a privilege or charity.
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Monks and nuns kept hospitals clean
In the Middle Ages, the term "hospital" included hostels for travellers, dispensaries for the poor, clinics and surgeries for the injured, and homes for the blind, lame, elderly, and mentally ill. While hospitals were kept clean, monks and nuns were responsible for ensuring that the bedding was changed and washed regularly. The patients were allowed to participate in church services from their beds.
Monastic hospitals developed both therapeutic and spiritual treatments, and monks and nuns were responsible for keeping hospitals clean. The first hospitals were founded when Christianity became the state religion of the Roman Empire. The hospital tradition in Byzantium continued into the Middle Ages, but the West experienced a lengthy hiatus. Benedictine monks eventually revived the hospital institution at the end of the early Middle Ages. Later, in the 12th and 13th centuries, the Benedictines constructed a network of independent hospitals, initially to provide general care for the sick and wounded, and later for the treatment of syphilis and the isolation of patients with contagious diseases.
Monasteries served as both spiritual and medical centres, and some began training their own physicians as early as the 11th century. Ideally, these physicians would uphold the Christian ideal of the healer, who offered mercy and charity to all patients regardless of their status or prognosis. Monks and nuns were responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of hospitals, which included changing and washing bedding on a regular basis.
The majority of hospitals in England were owned and operated by the Church, which also funded the universities where doctors received their training. The Church taught that it was a Christian's religious duty to care for the sick, and hospitals were primarily charitable institutions that provided care for the poor, the sick, and travellers. Only about 10% of medieval hospitals treated the sick in the same way that modern hospitals do. The remaining hospitals were almshouses that provided basic nursing care but not medical treatment.
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Frequently asked questions
In medieval hospitals, only about 10% of patients received treatment for illnesses in the way modern hospitals do. Most hospitals were almshouses that provided basic nursing and hospitality for the poor, elderly, and infirm.
During the medieval period, the term "hospital" encompassed hostels for travellers, dispensaries for poor relief, clinics and surgeries for the injured, and homes for the blind, lame, elderly, and mentally ill. There were also leper hospitals, which were located on the outskirts of towns to isolate those with leprosy from the rest of the community.
Medical care by physicians or doctors was rare in medieval hospitals. Monks and nuns played a significant role in ensuring cleanliness and providing basic care, while also developing therapeutic and spiritual treatments.
The decision to admit patients was often made by hospital administrators or influential backers who selected patients worthy of treatment. Patients might also require an entrance fee, which could be provided by sponsors.
