The crusades

Exercise 1: Read the text and answer the questions below:

"Food shortages came to a crisis. all the soldiers were tormented by cealess hunger. [...] All our suplies were used up and the troops were still hungry. The hot weather made things worse. Even well-brought-up lords would fling themselves*  to the ground to chew at plants.

Priceless horses were killed and eaten sometimes withour even skinning them. Some were so desperate with hunger that they would chew and lick bones, even if they had been by dogs dor days before."

(Siedge of Acre, 1189-1191)

* Fling (oneself): throw oneself

a) What were the problems that soldiers have during the siedge?

b) What did they do for surviving?

c) Relate with the thing you know: why did the crusades take place?

Exercise 2 Read the text and anserwer the questions below:

"They took me to see a knight with a boil on his leg. I put a poultice* on the leg, and biol began to heal. Then a French doctor came and said i had no idea how to treat the boil. He sent for a strong man and an axe. He put the knight's leg on a block of wood and said to the strong man, "strike hard and cleanly". The marrow spurted out of the bone when it was cut. The Knight died at once". 

(Muslim doctor at christians' camp. 1150)

*poultice: a mix of ingredients, heated and medicated used to treat bounds and infections. 

a) What are the different treatments?

b) What were the results of the treatments?

c) Relate with the thing you know: Why was muslim medical knowledge better than the christian one?