Hospitals

Hospitals, Poor Relief, and The Treatment of Insanity


During the Middle Ages, sick and poor people were welcomed and taken care of by healthy and wealthy people. Hospitals, monasteries, parishes, and universities all contributed to helping the poor. The church funded local parishes to provide relief for the poor. Laws were made that stated that the poor were entitled to support from society. Other laws were passed that the poor deserved respect from everybody. In many cases, the government took responsibility for the poor people, hospitals and public health.

People diagnosed with insanity in the middle ages were tolerated and taken care of but were given certain restrictions. The government gave financial support to the shelters that housed mentally ill people. Mentally ill people were allowed to own property in the town. They were also allowed to receive the sacraments although they could not join the clergy. Confinement of mentally ill people was meant to protect the community and prevent the violentally insane people from harming themselves; it was not meant to be torture.

Works Cited DD
 * “Hosptals and Poor Relief.” //The Middle Ages: An Encyclopedia for Students//. Ed. William Chester Jordan. Vol. 2. New York: Charles Scribner’s Son, 1996. 218-221. //Gale Virtual Reference Library//. Web. 4 Mar. 2010.
 * “Insanity, Treatment of.” //The Middle Ages: An Encyclopedia for Students//. Ed. William Chester Jordan. Vol. 3. New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1996. 8-9. //Gale Virtual Reference Library//. Web. 12 Mar. 2010.
 * Mcgil, Seamus. “Map Symbol Hospital 02.” //Wikimedia Commons//. Wikimedia Foundations, n.d. Web. 6 Apr. 2010. .