Diorama showing a 1400s consultation with a physician, Unite

Several scenes from a mediaeval encyclopaedia have been combined in this diorama to show the tasks performed by a physician. On the left, bloodletting is being performed. Some diseases such as fever were thought to be caused by too much blood in the body. Removing the excess blood was believed to cure the patient. On the right, uroscopy examination of the urine, is being carried out. The colour, smell and taste of urine were thought to help diagnose patient’s illnesses. The encyclopaedia De proprietatibus rerum (The Order of Things) was written in Latin by Bartholomaeus Anglicus, a Franciscan monk living in the 1200s. The encyclopaedia covered theology, medicine, botany, astronomy, zoology and other sciences of the time. maker: Unknown maker Place made: United Kingdom