Ancient Western Flashcards
Features of Hippocratic Medicine
Stressed regimen, diet, way of life (over drugs) Four humors (chymoi) in microcosm Four elements/roots in macrocosm Observation and expectative therapy Skillful prognosis Health is equilibrium Patient-oriented Disapproved of heroic interventions and risky procedures
Asclepius
“Blameless” physician in the Iliad
Asclepions
Temples of healing
Private areas for pilgrims
Walls inscribed with cases and dates of gods’ interventions
Votives left by pilgrims as testaments to healing
Examples: Cos, Epidouros
Closed by Roman imperial edict
Empedocles
Pre-socratic philosopher
Postulated all things composed of four elements or “roots”: earth, fire, water, air
Corpus Hippocraticum
Clear foundation of Western medicine Several authors, 60-70 essays Origin of idea of patient-centered healing Observation, not theory Expectative therapy, not active intervention Based on externals, NOT internal anatomy Compared body to microcosm Rejects idea that God causes disease
Georg Ebers papyrus
Ancient Egyptian text
Most important and oldest surviving medical text
Magical healing prominent
Diseases that Greeks knew
Epilepsy Dysentery TB Varicella Diptheria Malaria Amenorrhea Fevers Eye diseases
Hippocrates
Father of medicine
Primary tenet: first, do no harm (primum non nocere)
Born into an asclepion on Cos
Corpus Hippocraticum established medicine as art, science, and profession (many contributors)
Believed in professionalism, discipline, rigorous practice, careful observation and records
Four humors
Yellow bile: summer dystentery and vomiting
Black bile: autumn and dying of nature, melancholy
Blood: associated with life, nature removes excess, possibly reason for venisection
Phlegm: winter colds and epilepsy
Hellenistic medicine
Ancient Alexandria was center of medical education and research
Imhotep
Egyptian ancestor of modern physicians
Polymath: healer, priest, astrologer, architect
Vizier (high official) to Pharaoh Djozer
Mycenean Era
Asclepius of The Iliad
Shamanic folk healers and priests common
Illness caused by anger of gods
Traded with Egypt, shared knowledge of therapies
Iatroi
Healers of Greek antiquity
Asclepiads
Claimed ancestry to Asclepius, son of Apollo, the blameless healer of the Iliad
Epidouros
Most celebrated asclepion in antiquity
Alexandria
Founded by Ptolemy
Capital of Ptolemaic Egypt and world center of education
Library and museum world centers for a millennium
Herophilus
Hellenistic medicine
Greek founder of Alexandrian medical school with Erasitratus
Dissected human cadavers
Described and named internal organs
Believed nerves and brain caused body motion
Said arteries contained blood
First to study pulse systematically
Erasistratus
Hellenistic medicine Greek, worked in Alexandria Called the body a machine Dissected cadavers Described valves of heart Sensory and motor nerves and linked to brain Heart as a pump Denied teleology
Roman medicine
Magical No standards of practice Education varied widely Care was mostly at home Believed better off without docs Medicine for pay was dishonest Public health measures Medici = Roman doc No hospitals Valetudinaria = hospital precursor Religious centers for healing (asclepions)
Galen of Pergamum
Most influential of the ancients
Educated in asclepion in Pergamum
Physician to gladiators in Pergamum and Rome
Physician to several emperors (Marcus Aurelius, Commodus, Septimius)
Public anatomical dissections on animals
Huge volume of medical writings remain
Difficult, opinionated man
Based human anatomy on animals
Interested in doctor-patient relationship
Advocated instilling trust from patients by bedside manner, careful explanations, mastery of prognosis
Claimed had perfected Hippocrates
Rejected magic
Strong advocate of venisection
Mind-body link, stress syndromes
