Difference Between Shakespeare's Medicine Then And Now

Differences in Medicine from Shakespeare’s Time to Now You will be surprised when you find out how much medicine has changed over the years. In the 16th century medicine was viewed differently than medicine today. There were several areas in which medicine has changed since Shakespeare’s time. Some of the areas that have changed are in the areas of prevention, treatment, and illnesses. Prevention in Shakespeare’s time was not understood by people of that time. There was no thought process of how to or that you could prevent getting sick. People would dump waste and use the bathroom in the river. Then they would almost always use the same water to wash and cook (Prezi: Herman and Hashi). They would use water that was full of bacteria

When the people of the 16th century head pains now known as headaches were treated with sweet-smelling herbs such as rose, lavender, sage, and bay. This was a treatment that was used but the only the wealthy could afford it the poor could not really afford medicine. Other treatment was you could put roasted onion in your ear for a earache. Simple wounds were treated by vinegar like cuts or scraps. “Surgery, on the other hand was not so greatly respected” (Campbell 514). No one believe that surgery was beneficial and that it wasn’t needed in the 16th century. No matter how bad the situation was they still didn 't believe that surgery was beneficial. Today people view treatment differently and do different stuff for treatment. Head pains(headaches) we now treat by taking pills like Advil, Tylenol, and Aleve but these are only some of many different pills you can take. There are still some people who still use herbs today for their head pains along with cold or warm compresses. Now people don 't really use roasted onions for earaches we now just use ear drops. People do still use vinegar nowadays for sunburn and injuries. Today there are surgeries and now also believe that surgery is beneficial. Surgical procedures are performed daily for multiple reasons like to cure broken bones or remove

“Malnutrition added to toll of death” (Webster 39). If people do not eat good, it can lead to illnesses. In the 16th century they believed that God would give illnesses and the people would not try to find a cure. They just thought God who gave the illness would remove the illness from them. How we look at illnesses today in the 21st century is very different however there are some who still believe that illness come from God. Illnesses such as the Plague (Black Death), Smallpox, measles, in the 16th century which people would not know how to cure those illnesses because they didn 't know what it was. These days people eat a healthier diet, so they don’t typically suffer from malnutrition as widespread as back in the 16th century. People still eat bad food and make bad selections but the research and knowledge about food has help us make better selections. Although people still believe that God gives them illnesses they now they go to a doctor and find help with symptoms and possible cure. In the 21st century there are still illness such as Ebola, HIV/Aids, malaria, “mad cow disease”, polio, cholera, Avian influenzas, and tuberculosis. Some are like the 16th century illnesses however throughout the years science has allowed us to learn and grow in the treatment for the illnesses. Medicine has changed since Shakespeare’s time to today but it has changed in a good way