Disease and its treatment in Medieval Europe began to regress from the ideas of the Ancient world. When the Roman Empire collapsed many books were lost or burned. The Church banned the few that survived. The Church insisted on teaching ideas that fitted Christian beliefs – God was responsible for both disease and cure. Illness was divine punishments and healing was seen as a blessing from a merciful God.
Cures and treatments were diverse, but always religious, prayer, taking a holy potion, being blessed by a priest or going on pilgrimage. Flagellantes whipped themselves as a punishment to cleanse themselves of sin. Kings were appointed by God, and also had the power to heal. Medieval people believed that the touch of a king would cure scrofula (a skin disease, called the King’s Evil).
Natural treatments were only allowed if they fitted with the Church’s teaching. For example Galen’s ideas were supported and his books spread across Europe, herbs, blood letting and the testing of urine.
In the East, Islamic countries continued to use Galen and Hippocrates’ ideas, and continued to reproduce their books and contribute their own ideas and knowledge to illness and treatments. Avicenna (Ibn Sina) wrote a medical books containing all the known treatments of illness. Rhazes, another doctor noted the slight difference between smallpox and measles.