Transmission of Medical Knowledge

Crawley, 20 July 2012.

Aims of Session• Introduce humoral medicine• Note taking• Skim reading• What to put in your essay (working with narrative)

Humoral system of medicineHumor Temperame

ntElement Season Qualities Personal

qualities

Black bile melancholic Earth Autumn Cold/dry Creative, kind, considerate

Yellow/red bile

sanguine Fire Summer Hot/dry Extroverted social

blood choleric Air Spring Hot/wet Energetic, passionate, charismatic

phlegm phlegmatic Water Winter Cold/wet Dependable, kind, affectionate

Galen’s Art of Physick, 1652.

Hot, cold, dry . . .

Hot brains?

Choleric

• Humor: Yellow Bile• Element: Fire• Season: Spring• Age: Childhood• Qualities: Hot & Dry• Organ: Gall Bladder• Planet: Mars

Phlegmatic

• Humor: Phlegm• Element: Water• Season: Winter• Age: Old Age• Qualities: Cold & Moist• Organ: Brain• Planet: Moon

Which humour?

Humor: BloodElement: AirSeason: SummerAge: AdolescenceQualities: Hot & DryOrgan: HeartPlanet: Jupiter

Sanguine

Which humour?Humor: Black BileElement: EarthSeason: AutumnAge: MaturityQualities: Cold & DryOrgan: SpleenPlanet: Saturn

Melancholic

Islamic medicine• Reading 5.3• Reading 5.4

How do these readings relate to the key principles of Greek medicine?

European Medicine• Reading 5.7• Reading 5.8

How do these reading replicate and challenge Islamic interpretations of Greek medical works?

Case A• unusual tiredness  • headache • runny nose • sore throat • shortness of breath or cough • loss of appetite  • aching muscles • diarrhoea or vomiting • It’s been very cold recently

Case B• a headache• aching muscles• tummy ache, diarrhoea and vomiting• weakness or lack of energy• Shivering, hotness and sweating• jaundice - yellow skin and eyeballs• feeling light-headed or shaky• Bleeding under the skin (showing as pin pricks or

bruises) or from the nose or gums • pale or bluish skin• fast heart beat & fast breathing• Recent separation from husband• Just returned from Africa with male friend

Case C

• has watery faeces with a mild, fishy smell and bits of mucus - looks like water in which rice has been washed

• feels sick and vomit • has abdominal (tummy) cramps • Very thirsty, dry mouth, dry looking skin• Very tired• Sunken eyes • has a fever• recently travelled abroad

Skim reading• Read headings• Look at figures and examples• Read first line and last line of each paragraph.• Note down what the approximate content is of the

chapter.• Note down what sources of evidence you have.

Thinking about your notes

Making notes• When do you make notes?• Why do you make notes?• How do you make notes?• Why do you make notes like this?• Have you always made notes like this?

Some methods• Linear • Highlighting• Underlining• Concept tree/mind map/spider diagram• Index cards

What happens next?• What do you do with your notes?• When do you use your notes?• Why do you use your notes?• How do you use your notes?• Do your notes do what you want them to do?• How do you know when they are working?• How do you know when they aren’t working so well?

Pirate notesQuestion:

Why are these notes so useful?

Because they RRRRRRS

Cornell Note-taking System• Record• Reduce• Recite• Reflect• Review• Recapitulate• Sample

Cornell notes page

Record• Record as many facts and ideas as you can• Don’t write every word• Don’t worry about grammatical correctness• Use key words – streamline

Reduce or Question• Reduce important facts to key words or phrases:

memory cues.• Formulate questions based on the facts and ideas:

clarify meanings.

Recite• State out loud and in your own words the facts and ideas• Hearing your thoughts will sharpen your thinking• Cover your notes while you are doing this.• Leave your cue words and questions uncovered.

Reflect• Enhance reflection by asking yourself questions:

– How do these facts fit into what I already know?– How can I apply them?– How is knowing this important?– What is their significance?

Recapitulate• Summarise your notes at the bottom of the note page.• Write in your own words• Reflect the main points you want to remember

Cornell notes page

The system

4. & 5. reflect and reviewReview your notes periodically by reciting think about what you have learned.

6. Recapitulate: summarise each main ideaUse complete sentences

2. Reduce or Question: write key phrases or question that serve as cues for notes taken in class.

Cue phrases and questions should be in your own words.

3. Recite: With classroom notes covered, read each key word or question.

Recite the fact or idea brought to mind by key words or questions

2. Reduce or Question: write key phrases or question that serve as cues for notes taken in class.

Cue phrases and questions should be in your own words.

3. Recite: With classroom notes covered, read each key word or question.

Recite the fact or idea brought to mind by key words or questions

1. Record: write down facts and ideas in phrases.

4 & 5 Reflect and ReviewReview your notes periodically by reciting think about what you have learned.

Units• 5.1• 5.2• 5.3

What’s in it to win it?Did the Islamic translators simply ‘pass on’ Greek medical ideas or did they change medical theory and practice?

What’s in it to win it?In what ways did European practitioners respond to writings on medicine by Islamic authors and why?

Jennie Osborn

www.open.ac.uk