Hello, I'm Mr. Marchant, and thank you for joining me for today's history lesson.

I'll be guiding you through all of our resources today, and my top priority is to make sure that by the end of our lesson, you're able to successfully meet our learning objective.

Welcome to today's lesson, which is part of our unit on Renaissance medicine and health, where we're asking ourselves, what medical knowledge changed in this period? By the end of today's lesson, you'll be able to assess the extent of progress in Renaissance ideas about the causes of illness and disease.

There is one keyword which will help us navigate our way through today's lesson.

That is symptom.

A symptom is a physical feeling or problem that shows that you have a particular illness.

Today's lesson will be split into three parts and we'll begin by thinking about the key features of the Renaissance.

The period from the late 15th century to the 17th century is often referred to as the Renaissance.

Significant developments occurred during the Renaissance period, including the emergence of new attitudes towards learning, new technologies, and new explorations for Europeans.

So, thinking about what we've just heard, which centuries are usually considered to be part of the Renaissance period? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answers.

Okay, well done to everybody who said that the correct answers were the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries.

During the Renaissance, interest in Ancient Rome and Greece led to new translations of many ancient works.

As a result of these new translations, new discoveries of ancient knowledge were made and some errors in older translations were identified.

These discoveries encouraged many to try and discover the truth around them, especially through observation and experimentation, rather than by relying solely on book-led learning.

The process of using observation and experimentation to ensure ideas can be supported by evidence is known as the scientific method.

However, the scientific method also encouraged individuals to ask more questions as part of the learning process.

Consequently, some individuals began to challenge widely-accepted ideas during the Renaissance period, whether they came from religion or ancient authorities.

New technologies helped to support the development and spread of new ideas.

For example, the first printing press was developed in the mid-15th century.

These machines were used to print texts, meaning that books could be produced more cheaply, more accurately, and more quickly than before.

As a result, the printing press helped new ideas to spread between many people.

Meanwhile, new technologies were also developed to help people observe the world.

For instance, the first microscope was invented in 1590.

Finally, technological improvements also helped Europeans to travel further than ever before by sea, including to the Americas.

From 1492 onwards, exploration in the Americas allowed Europeans to discover many plant species which were previously unknown to them.

Many of these plants were experimented with and brought back to Europe.

So, let's check our understanding of everything we've just heard.

Which texts were translated most frequently during the Renaissance? Was it Ancient Egyptian texts, Ancient Greek and Roman texts, new Chinese texts, or new French and Italian texts? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said that the correct answer was B.

Ancient Greek and Roman texts were translated most frequently during the Renaissance.

And let's try another question.

This time, I want you to write the missing word from the following sentence.

The blank method encouraged people to learn through observation and experimentation.

So what's the missing word? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said that the correct answer was scientific.

The scientific method encouraged people to learn through observation and experimentation.

This became more common during the Renaissance period.

And let's try another question.

Identify two benefits of the printing press for the publication of books.

Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answers.

Okay, well done if your answers included any of the following ideas.

That the printing press made books cheaper, increased their accuracy, and made it quicker to produce them.

Let's try one final question.

Which region did Europeans begin bringing plants from after 1492? Was it Africa, the Americas, or Asia? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said the correct answer was B.

From 1492 onwards, Europeans began bringing plants from the Americas back to Europe.

So, we're now in a good position to put all of our knowledge about the key features of the Renaissance into practise.

I want you to study the following statements, which say, the microscope was invented during the Renaissance period.

The scientific method encouraged individuals to learn mainly by reading books.

There was little interest in ancient ideas during the Renaissance.

And many new plant species were transported to Europe during the Renaissance.

Firstly, I want you to identify whether each of those statements is true or false.

And then, I want you to correct any false statements.

You should provide additional detail to support any corrections you make.

So pause the video here and press play when you're ready to reflect on your responses.

Okay, well done for all of your hard work on that task.

So firstly, I asked you to identify which statements were true and false.

So you should have said that the first statement was true, that the second statement was false, that our third statement was also false, and that our fourth statement was true.

And then, I asked you to correct any of those statements which were false, and to provide additional detail to support your corrections.

So your answers may have included.

The scientific method encouraged individuals to observe the world around them and conduct their own experiments.

This would ensure the ideas they accepted were supported by evidence.

And you may also have written.

Interest in ancient ideas remained widespread during the Renaissance.

For example, many new translations of Ancient Greek and Roman works were produced in Europe at this time.

So really well done if your responses to the second part of that task look something like our models there.

And now we're ready to move on to the second part of our lesson for today where we're going to think about the Renaissance and medical knowledge.

New attitudes to learning and new technologies were significant for medical progress in Europe during the Renaissance.

At this time, there were notable improvements in knowledge relevant to the causes of illness and disease.

New technologies were very important for supporting the development of new, medically-relevant knowledge during the Renaissance.

For instance, the invention of the microscope and the continuous improvement of this technology meant that in the 1670s, germs, which are responsible for a wide range of diseases, were observed for the very first time by a Dutch scientist called Antonie van Leeuwenhoek.

New groups were also formed during the Renaissance period who promoted the scientific method of learning.

In particular, the Royal Society was established in England in 1660, with the aim of using experimentation to improve scientific knowledge.

The society also believed it was important to share new scientific ideas, which would spread awareness and allow scientists to test one another's results.

To do this, the Royal Society used printing presses to publish a regular journal called "Philosophical Transactions." The journal was first published in 1665 and was used to share many medically-relevant ideas, including Van Leeuwenhoek's discovery of germs, helping this knowledge to spread quickly and widely.

So, thinking about what we've just heard, what was discovered for the first time in the 1670s by using a microscope? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said the correct answer was germs. Germs were discovered for the first time in the 1670s by using microscopes.

Let's try another question.

What was the purpose of the journal "Philosophical Transactions"? Was it to share ancient scientific ideas, to share new philosophical ideas, or to share new scientific ideas? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said the correct answer was C.

"Philosophical Transactions," a journal which began publication in 1665, was produced to share new scientific ideas.

The work of Thomas Sydenham, an English physician who worked during the 17th century, helps to demonstrate some of the medical progress made as a result of the Renaissance.

Sydenham refused to rely on book-led learning for his medical understanding, and by following the scientific method, was able to challenge some ancient medical ideas.

For instance, Sydenham believed that individual diseases did not vary from person to person, as the Theory of the Four Humours suggested.

Instead, Sydenham argued that each disease would produce common symptoms in patients.

Therefore, if a physician closely observed all of these symptoms, they could accurately diagnose the disease.

It was through this method of close observation that Sydenham was able to identify that scarlet fever and measles were different diseases.

One of Sydenham's works, called "Medical Observations," went on to become a standard textbook in English medical training, helping to encourage other physicians to follow the scientific method.

So, let's check our understanding.

What did the Theory of the Four Humours say about the symptoms of diseases? Was it that they would be the same across patients, that they were individual to different patients, or that they could not be understood by physicians or patients? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said the correct answer was B.

The Theory of the Four Humours incorrectly claimed that the symptoms of disease were individual to different patients.

And let's try another question.

Which two diseases did Thomas Sydenham identify as being different? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said the correct answer was measles and scarlet Fever.

Thomas Sydenham was able to identify these two diseases as being different through close observation of many patients.

And let's try one final question.

This time, we have a statement which reads, Thomas Sydenham supported the scientific method.

Is that statement true or false? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said that that statement was true.

But we need to be able to justify our response.

So how can we tell that that statement was true? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said, Sydenham believed that observation of symptoms was important for good medical practise and used his observations to challenge some ancient ideas.

Therefore, we can tell he was a supporter of the scientific method.

So, we're now in a good position to put all of our knowledge into practise.

I want you to explain two ways in which medical knowledge progressed during the Renaissance period.

You should ensure that your answer identifies an improvement in medically-relevant knowledge, and explains how that progress was achieved.

So pause the video here and press play when you're ready reflect on your responses.

Okay, well done for all of your effort on that task.

So I asked you to explain two ways in which medical knowledge progressed during the Renaissance period.

And your answer may have included.

During the Renaissance period, germs were discovered for the very first time by Antonie van Leeuwenhoek.

This discovery was made possible by the development of new technologies.

Microscopes were first invented in 1590, and improvements to the technology meant that germs, which are responsible for causing various diseases, were able to be observed for the first time.

Technology also helped spread knowledge of this discovery in England quickly, as the Royal Society used printing presses to publish Leeuwenhoek's work in its journal, "Philosophical Transactions." Your answer may also have included.

During the Renaissance, the scientific method was followed to make new discoveries about disease.

For example, Thomas Sydenham challenged the Theory of the Four Humours by arguing that patients suffering from the same illness or disease would show similar symptoms. Sydenham believed in observing patients closely and argued that studying all of their symptoms would allow their disease to be accurately diagnosed.

By following this method, Sydenham was able to accurately identify, for the first time, that measles and scarlet fever were different diseases.

So, really well done if your own responses look something similar to those models which we've just seen.

And so now we're ready to move on to the third and final part of our lesson for today where we're going to think about the limits of medical progress during the Renaissance.

The Renaissance had many beneficial impacts for medicine.

Nevertheless, there were limits on how much progress was made in the understanding of the causes of illness and disease in this period.

New knowledge which was gained in the Renaissance period was not always fully developed.

For instance, whilst Antonie van Leeuwenhoek was able to discover the existence of germs, he and other scientists were unaware of their role in causing disease.

In fact, even if it had been suspected that germs could cause disease, technology was not developed enough at the time to isolate individual germs in order to prove such a theory.

Furthermore, many medics were reluctant to accept new ideas and change at all.

During his career, Thomas Sydenham complained that many physicians rejected his work, not least his support for the scientific method, simply because it advanced new ideas.

Even immediately after Sydenham's death, Martin Lister, a German physician, suggested that Sydenham and his followers held extreme beliefs which shouldn't be accepted by others.

So, let's reflect on what we've just heard.

What did Thomas Sydenham claim led many other medics to reject some of his work? Was it a failure to understand the importance of germs, inability to read his books, or unwillingness to accept new ideas? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said the correct answer was C.

Thomas Sydenham said that many other medics rejected his work simply because they were unwilling to accept new ideas.

As new ideas were not fully developed, many old explanations for the causes of illness and disease remained widespread.

In the Renaissance period, even many trained physicians continued to accept religious and supernatural explanations for ill health.

For instance, plague guidance provided in the 17th century by the Royal College of Physicians, a group which included England's most senior doctors, began by quoting a Bible verse which explains that plague was "God's punishment for the sins of mankind." Meanwhile, many books on astrology, including its influence over people's health, continued to be bought and sold across Britain.

In fact, it has been estimated that one third of all books written on astrology in England between 1485 and 1707 were published by qualified physicians.

And some doctors claimed they could diagnose a patient solely by relying on astrological readings of stars and planets.

Other mediaeval ideas also survived into the Renaissance period.

The Theory of the Four Humours was widely accepted and continued to influence most of the medical treatment offered in hospitals from the late 16th century onwards.

Similarly, miasma was often used to explain the cause and spread of infectious diseases.

Indeed, the Royal College of Physicians argued that unsanitary conditions, including overcrowding and poor waste disposal, were a problem because they corrupted the air and made it offensive.

Whilst unsanitary conditions did help diseases like plague to spread, in reality, this was usually because they made it easier for germs to spread, not because of any impact these conditions had on the air.

So, let's make sure we have a secure understanding of what we've just heard.

What two things did the Royal College of Physicians say were responsible for plague outbreaks? Was it germs, God, miasma, or non-Christians? Remember, you're looking for two answers to this question.

So pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answers.

Okay, well done to everybody who said that the correct answers were B and C.

The Royal College of Physicians, which was made up of England's leading doctors during the Renaissance period, argued that both God and miasma were responsible for outbreaks of plague, even though both of these explanations were incorrect.

And let's try another question.

This time, we have a statement which reads.

Astrology was generally rejected as an explanation for the causes of disease in the Renaissance period.

Is that statement true or false? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to see the right answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said that that statement was false.

But we need to be able to justify our response.

So, why is it that that original statement was incorrect? Pause the video here and press play when you're ready to check your answer.

Okay, well done to everybody who said, many books on astrology were written between 1485 and 1707, and one third of these were written by qualified physicians.

This helps demonstrate that astrology was still frequently accepted, even by medical professionals in the Renaissance period.

And so now we're ready to put all of our new knowledge from today's lesson into practise.

I want you to answer the following question.

How much progress was made in ideas about the causes of disease and illness in the Renaissance period? You need to explain your answer in two paragraphs, and you should include a clear judgement , two examples, and an explanation of how your examples support your judgement.

So pause the video here and press play when you're ready to reflect on your responses.

Okay, well done for all of your hard work on that task.

So I asked you, how much progress was made in ideas about the causes of disease and illness in the Renaissance period? And your answer may have included.

Although there were some new ideas which could have contributed to further progress in Renaissance medicine, their actual impact on ideas about the causes of disease was quite limited.

Indeed, whilst germs were discovered for the first time in the 1670s, this discovery did not extend to identifying their role in causing disease.

Likewise, whilst some physicians like Thomas Sydenham began to follow the scientific method to develop new ideas, many other medics remained unwilling to accept change.

Partly because new ideas faced opposition or were not fully developed, many people in the Renaissance period also continued to accept old and incorrect ideas about the causes of disease and illness.

For instance, without knowledge that germs spread disease, even the Royal College of Physicians explained plague outbreaks in the 17th century as both the result of miasma and as "God's punishment for the sins of mankind." This shows that many ideas about the causes of disease had not changed from the mediaeval period and so overall progress was clearly limited.

So really well done if your own answer looks something like that model, especially if you had that clear judgement backed up by examples which you explained.

And so now we've reached the end of today's lesson, which puts us in a good position to summarise everything we've learned about Renaissance ideas about disease and illness.

We've seen that attitudes which encouraged new learning, including support for the scientific method, emerged during the Renaissance.

New technologies such as the microscope and organisations like the Royal Society helped support new discoveries and the spread of this knowledge.

Thomas Sydenham supported the scientific method and used observations to challenge accepted ideas about diagnosis and patients' symptoms. Many physicians remained cautious or even hostile towards accepting new ideas during the Renaissance period.

And most mediaeval explanations for the causes of disease, such as religion and miasma, remained common amongst physicians and ordinary people.

So, thank you for all of your hard work and effort during today's lesson.

It's been a pleasure to help guide you through our resources, and I look forward to seeing you again in future as we continue to think about Renaissance medicine and health, and ask ourselves, how much did medical knowledge progress in this period?.