Lack Of Sanitation In The Elizabethan Era

The Elizabethan era was full of terrible illnesses. The medicine was extremely basic and there was not a large amount of it (Alchin 1). The health of the Elizabethan Era can be directly related to the lack of knowledge when it came to creating medication, the amateur minds of the doctors, and the difficulties associated with the acquirement of medical help.

In a time period where horrific diseases such as smallpox, Malaria, and the Bubonic Plague (black death) often crossed your path medicine was very primitive. One of the worst diseases was the Bubonic Plague almost one third of the population were victim to it (Alchin 1). A shortage of sanitation was a hidden cause of Elizabethan illnesses notably in large towns and cities for instance

Some people that gave out medicine were not actual doctors. Physicians were the highest ranking. They would cover themselves from head to toe in clothing to protect them from getting terrible diseases. They would wear long robes with a pointed hood, leather gloves and boots, they would also wear a mask that had a long beak that had special oils in it so they could breath the same air without getting sick (Williams and Lacasse 1). Old wise women were typically the doctor for the poor. The old wise woman could not offer any real medical help but they could give them home remedies. As in ranking a surgeon was always inferior to a high ranking physician (Alchin 1). A surgeon's job was very similar to a barber's job. A barber ranking lower than a surgeon was to give people blood and pull teeth. An apothecary is basically a modern day pharmacist (Williams and Lacasse1). The apothecary’s belong to a grocer and also sold cosmetics, sweets, and perfumes (Alchin 1). So when going to an apothecary it was like going to a Walgreens today. People would often go to the church when they were sick. All the church could help them with was to provide comfort (Alchin 1). It was mainly the poor that would go to the