Ancient Flashcards
Who was Galen and what did he discover?
A Roman physician who discovered:
- The heart consumed blood
- Space between the brain called the “soul”
- Theory of Opposites
- The brain controlled the body, not the heart
He also:
- Dissected animals
- Drew human anatomy
- Wrote countless medical books
Who was Hippocrates and what did he discover?
A Greek physician who discovered:
- Hippocratic Oath
- The Four Humours
- Hippocratic Corpus
- Regimen
- Clinical Observation
- Scientific Diagnosis
Why did the Romans need such good public health facilities? (Such as the Roman Baths)
- To maintain their empire, with a strong and healthy army
- Cities were growing and waste was increasing
- Belief that ‘miasma’ (bad smells) caused disease, such as swamps
What happened in the Roman Baths?
1) Got undressed
2) Body hair plucked by slaves
3) Massaged with oil, which was later scraped off
4) Went into a steam room
5) Got into the ice-cold plunge pool
6) Went into a warm room where the relaxed and got dressed
How did water travel around the Roman Empire?
Fresh water springs ⬇️ Reservoirs ⬇️ Public fountains, public toilets, forts, bathing houses, private homes ⬇️ Sewers
What is Regimen?
Eating and drinking the right amount, sleeping well and getting enough exercise.
Summer:
- Walk 200 metres before sunrise
- Drink more eat less
- Watered wine, barley cakes, boiled meat
Winter:
- Eat more drink less
- Un-watered wine, bread, roasted meat, few veg
Hair and face:
- Wash face with water, clean nose, ears with perfumed oil
Teeth:
- Use finger to rub in peppermint
What was the theory of the ‘Four Humours’?
The idea that the body was made up of 4 different liquids: blood, phlegm, black bile, yellow bile.
The imbalance of these humours could lead to sickness
How did the quality of public health decline after the collapse of the Roman Empire?
- Public health systems were destroyed in war, along with libraries full of medical books.
- Invading tribes couldn’t read so they were not interested in education of the work of Galen.
- War was now more important than education and medicine
- The only thing that that survived powerfully was the Christian Church
What were some Roman ideas about the cause of disease?
- Punishment from God
- Imbalanced four humours
- Miasma
What was the Hippocratic Oath?
An oath that doctors swore, to promise only to act in the best interests of the patient, and not in their own. This gave patients more faith in doctors and also stopped doctors doing things to get money out of patients.
What was the Hippocratic Corpus?
A collection of medical books supposedly written by Hippocrates. They included ideas such as the clinical observation.
What is was the Theory Of Opposites?
An adapted theory of The Four Humours. Galen believed that you could balance out the humours by applying the opposite to them, such as, prescribing a hot chilli for an imbalance of phlegm.
How did war effect the development of medicine and treatment?
Army surgeons had practice in treating wounds and the need for a healthy army led to improvements in water supplies and sanitation.
What was the government’s role in Ancient Rome?
- Funded public works to promote health.
They thought that healthy citizens were less likely to rebel and healthy workers and merchants were important for a prosperous empire.
