History of Medicine -1
Prehistoric societies
People lived in small groups and constantly moved around.
Extremely basic medicine - close relationship to nature and spirits.
Using medicinal herbs.
Prehistoric societies
Setting broken limbs.
Cause of disease - evil spirits for disease.
‘medicine men’ - believed wielded power over spirits.
Practicing trepanning – Cutting hole in skull remove part of bone to release evil spirit.
Ancient Egypt
People did not move around like the prehistoric people
People settled - everybody did not have to work for survival, some became the first priests and doctors.
Public health problems began to emerge when large numbers of people lived together.
Discipline in public health - religious rules to keep their bodies and clothes clean.
Accumulated medical knowledge - written down and communicated.
Doctors had to be trained and learn all past knowledge.
Knowledge of the human body - preparing corpses for mummification.
Powerful religious beliefs – prayers and spells for cures.
Ancient Greece
Traveled around - learnt from other cultures.
Have the leisure to think - devote their time to science.
Asklepios - the god of healing.
Built healing centers – Asklepions - a temple to the god and places for patients to sleep.
Patients would be cured - visitations by Asklepios and his daughters, Panacea and Hygieia.
Hippocrates - influential doctor and many medical books were written (over 50).