A Brief History Of Medicine

Part 2

Ancient Times

People have had illness.People have tried to explain the cause of

disease.Humans have sought cures for

sicknesses.

Throughout History

Sickness vs. Injury

Humans have long understood the difference between sickness and injury.

Ancient Greece

Time Period

450 BC to 300 AD

Common Diseases

Disease was a very serious problem for the Greeks.

One out of three babies died before they were a year old.

Half of all children died before they were ten.

Most people who grew up died in their forties and fifties.

Spiritual Causes

Greeks believed in many gods Angry gods could send disease Bored, mischief-prone gods would send

disease to provide entertainment

Greek Gods

Apollo was said to be the god of healing ,and could cure entire plagues.

Chiron ,a Greek Centaur, was also said to have mythological healing powers

The first medical god is Asclepius many people went to his temple so they would not get sick.

Causes of Disease

The body has a balance between four humours: blood, phlegm, black bile, and yellow bile.

Illness meant that there was an imbalance in their humors

Treatment used to return the balance back to normal. Bleeding (with leeches or cuts) Induced vomiting.

The Four Humours

Blood gave a person a lively personality and lots of energy. They would enjoy life and the arts.

Phlegm made a person feel lethargic or have a dull personality

Black bile caused depression and sadness. Yellow bile influenced a person's

temperament. It caused anger and a fiery temper.

The Humour Theory

Took medicine out of the spiritual world

Basis of medicine into the 1800’s

George Washington died from being bled too much, many believe.

Observed Contagious Diseases

Noticed that some disease could spread in the population

Idea of quarantine developed,40 days needed to avoid contagion from

diseases the number 40 was sacred

Major Accomplishments

The first known Greek medical school opened in Cnidus in 700 BC

Practice of observing patients was developed

Cures & Medicine

Doctors used many cures for disease

Medical schools taught treatments

Detailed records were kept

http://www.abpischools.org.uk/res/coResourceImport/resources04/history/index-2.cfm

Major Accomplishments

Hippocrates ca. 460 BC – ca. 370

BC “Father of Medicine” Invented the

Hippocratic Oath for physicians, which is still relevant and in use today.

Diseases Were Studied

Written records of symptoms of various disease

Hippocrates began to categorize illnesses as Acute (rapid onset)chronic (long-lasting or recurrent)endemic (common to a place)epidemic (higher amount suddenly)

Observed Contagious Diseases

Noticed that some disease could spread in the population

Idea of quarantine developed,40 days needed to avoid contagion from

diseases the number 40 was sacred

Cures & Medicine

Based on common sense. Leave things to nature, let the body cure itself

Eat right, exercise, sleep Observe the illness very carefully Intervene as little as possible Pay attention to nutrition and to the freshness of the air

Ancient Rome

Time Period

200 BC to 700 AD Romans had huge

empire Gained medical

knowledge from Egypt and Middle East

Common Diseases

Plagues Malaria (Plasmodium Falciparium, the most

dangerous form) Tuberculosis Typhoid fever Digestive ailments like gastroenteritis July to October ‘sickly’ months Wealthy Romans left the city for the summer

Sickness Worse in Cities

Poor lived in crowded areasMany people came to Rome from all

over the Empire, importing germsPoor nutrition & starvationPoor hygieneWomen & children under 5 most likely to

die

Causes of Disease

Thought gods were responsible for some diseases

Other diseases were caused by bad humours or “bad air” (miasma)

Cures & Medicine

Hippocrates’ scientific methods Observation and record keeping Combined with the religious and

mythological ceremonies Prayers, offerings and sacrificing to the

gods in hopes of greater success.

Science + Religion

http://www.abpischools.org.uk/res/coResourceImport/resources04/history/index-2.cfm

Cures & Medicine

Many of the Roman gods were believed to have healing powers

Aesculapius, the god of healing, was the prominent deity that governed the Roman medical practice and

His symbolic snake entwined staff continues to be used as a symbol of the medical field today.

Military Needs = Better Medicine

The Caesars wanted to expand their land so they had to attack other countries.

Folk remedies used throughout the Roman Empire were tested in battle by Roman physicians on wounded and ailing soldiers

Military Doctors in Rome

The Roman legions had the benefit of highly experienced medical personnel.

The legions had access to surgeons and hospital facilities that were far better than anything available.

Battlefield Medicine

Julius Caesar introduced the idea of having physicians on the battlefields.

The first army medical officers could give on the spot first aid at any given time.

Detailed record were kept Hospital idea invented for Roman army

The injured were sent to hospital tents pitched up next to battlefields.

Long time care would be taken care of there.

Doctors in Rome

Civilian doctors were mostly Greeks, slaves or freedmen

A few more prominent individuals who served the upper classes.

Doctors themselves were basically craftsmen, like any other profession. Used apprenticeships to pass on the art Later, medical schools were established

Cures & Medicines

Boiled medical tools and avoided using them on more than one patient without cleansing.

Painkillers and sedatives to help in surgeryextracts of opium poppies (morphine)henbane seeds (scopolamine).

Surgical Tools

Scalpels: Could be made of either steel or bronze. Use to make a variety of

incisions, but they seem to be particularly suited for deep or long cuts.

Smaller, bronze scalpels were also used frequently by surgeons in antiquity since the shape allowed for delicate and precise cuts to be made.

Surgical Tools

Hooks: A common instrument used regularly by Roman and Greek doctors. The ancient doctors used two basic types of hooks Blunt hooks were used primarily as probes for dissection and

for raising blood vessels. Sharp hooks were used to hold and lift small pieces of tissue

so that they could be extracted, and to retract the edges of wounds.

Surgical Tools

Bone Drills: Driven in their rotary motion by means of a thong in various configurations. Roman and Greek physicians used bone drills in order to remove diseased bone tissue from the skull and to remove foreign objects (such as a weapon) from a bone.

Surgical saw: This instrument was used to cut through bones in amputations and surgeries.

Surgical Tools

Forceps: Forceps were often used in conjunction with bone drills. They were used by ancient doctors to extract small fragments of bone which could not be grasped by the fingers.

Catheters: Used in order to open up a blocked urinary tract which allowed urine to pass freely from the body.

Good Health Practices

Aqueducts brought fresh running water Use of toilets and sewer systems

Prevented the spread of many diseases carried in water

Washed wastes away from cities

No evidence they understood health value

Lead poisoning common (used in pipes)

Good Health Practices

Excellent hygiene and food supply for rich

Cleanliness was valued

The Roman baths were important Used by all social

classes Regular cleansing

helped fight germs and bacteria.

Galen (131 - 201 AD),

Worked to expand medical knowledge.

Used Hippocrates' methods of observation and research

Dissected bodies to study human anatomy

Experimented with many procedures in order to find real workable solutions to medical issues

Galen (131 - 201 AD)

Greatest contribution was to diligently record his exhaustive studies in a series of books.

Doctors for centuries afterward had at least a basic knowledge of practical medicine.