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Roman Public Health

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Roman Medicine & Public Health Prevention better than the cure - Roman ideas on medicine
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Page 1: Roman Public Health

Roman Medicine & Public Health

Prevention better than the cure - Roman ideas on

medicine

Page 2: Roman Public Health

What we will learn today: How they developed ideas from the

Greeks. Roman ideas on what caused

illness. The nature of empirical

observation. The development of Roman Public

Health.

Page 3: Roman Public Health

The Impact of Greek Medicine The impact the Greeks made on

Rome can be seen in several ways. One is the use of an Asclepion in

Rome to combat the plague that broke out in the city in 293 BC.

The second is the use of Greek doctors – look at this table.

Page 4: Roman Public Health

Social and Ethnic status of Roman Doctors from 1st to 3rd century AD

Total Greek % Greek

Citizens 186 118 63

Freedmen 170 158 93

Slaves 55 54 98

Foreign (Non citizens)

31 23 74

Total 442 353 80

Page 5: Roman Public Health

Why such a heavy reliance on the Greeks?

This was due to the low social standing doctors had in Roman society.

When did this change? When Julius Caesar made a decree

giving doctors citizenship and the doctors who treated the rich could also become rich themselves.

Page 6: Roman Public Health

Copy this table

Total Greek % Greek

Citizens 186 118 63

Freedmen 170 158 93

Slaves 55 54 98

Foreign (Non citizens)

31 23 74

Total 442 353 80

Page 7: Roman Public Health

Now let us look at public health

Page 8: Roman Public Health

Prevention better than the cure. To the Romans this

can be said to be their main idea about public health.

A key example is their attempts to stop the spread of disease and death that surrounded the swamps in Rome.

Page 9: Roman Public Health

Observation The Romans observed that the

people who lived near the swamps tended to get ill and die.

We now know this disease is called Malaria - they did not know this.

They tried to gain an understanding as to an effective way to deal with the illness.

Page 10: Roman Public Health

Febris Febris was a minor

Roman goddess for fever - a symptom of the disease.

A temple was built where the disease was and prayers were said but no reduction in illness was observed.

Page 11: Roman Public Health

Task Write the subtitle Roman Public

Health Answer this question; What do the

actions of the Romans tell you about their belief in medicine?

Page 12: Roman Public Health

Empirical Observation The next step the

Romans took was to drain the swamp - this in effect shows the Romans had developed a system of EMPIRICAL OBSERVATION

Page 13: Roman Public Health

EMPIRICAL OBSERVATION Did they know what caused the

illnesses? Did they realise that the swamp was in

some way connected to the problem? So, remove the swamp, remove the

problem - this is empirical observation. Acting on what they know rather than

waiting to find out all the information.

Page 14: Roman Public Health

So what did they think caused disease? Bad air Bad water Bad smells Swamps or marshland Being dirty Living near sewerage In essence they had no clue but acted

on what they saw.

Page 15: Roman Public Health

Task Write down a definition for

EMPIRICAL OBSERVATION. Use the Roman’s problem as an

example.

Page 16: Roman Public Health

Roman Public Health - Aqueducts

Page 17: Roman Public Health

Roman Public Health - Baths

Page 18: Roman Public Health

Roman Public Health - Toilets

Page 19: Roman Public Health

Task Using the notes in front of you,

create a booklet on Roman Public Health using the

Page 20: Roman Public Health

Final Task Quick Quiz This is designed to see what you

have found out about Roman Public Health.


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