Greek➡️c.1000BC- c.250BC

Question 1

What did the Ancient Greeks believe about causes of illness?

Answer 1

Irrational:

-Gods and Spirits➡️e.g: Ascelpius=God of Medicine.

Rational:

• Unbalanced diet.
• Lack of exercise.
• Four Humours.

Question 2

What supernatural treatment(s) did the Ancient Greek use?

Answer 2

Temple medicine➡️Asclepion➡️Visited by Ascelpius in sleep and healed.

Question 3

What natural treatments did the Ancient Greeks use?

Answer 3

• Vomiting and Laxatives.
• Rest and Entertainment.
• Four Humours.
• Bleeding and herbal remedies➡️e.g: honey and ochre.
• Clinical observation.
• Preventative➡️Balanced diet, hygiene and exercise.

Question 4

Who provided medical care in Ancient Greece?

Answer 4

• Women➡️everyday care.
• Asclepius➡️visited in sick person’s sleep.
• Doctors➡️Specialised, trained professionals➡️Hippocratic Oath.

Question 5

What changes can be found between Egyptian and Greek times and why?

Answer 5

• Clinical Observation➡️Hippocrates Program for health➡️Sporting events.
• Asclepions built➡️Belief in gods.
• Improvements in basic first aid➡️Clinical observation.
• Four Humours theory developed.
• Doctors more professional➡️Hippocratic Oath.
• Improved anatomical knowledge➡️Alexandria, specialised doctors.

Question 6

What continuations can be found between Egyptian and Greek times?

Answer 6

• No knowledge of germs.
• No public health system.
• Doctors weren’t available to everyone.

Question 7

Why did the Ancient Greeks only have limited knowledge of the body?

Answer 7

Dissection was banned.

Question 8

How did the army/war improve medicine in Ancient Greece?

Answer 8

Ancient Greeks conquered Alexandria➡️Biggest library in Ancient world, became centre for Greek medicine➡️Doctors trained and Hippocrates’ books stored there, dissection allowed.

Question 9

Explain the Four Humours theory.

Answer 9

• Based on the idea of balance➡️Body made up of humours/ elements. If they became unbalanced, a person would become ill.
• The humours were affected by seasons.

Question 10

What were Hippocrates’ Achievements and why were they important?

Answer 10

• Encouraged doctors to behave more professionally, Hippocratic Oath➡️His ideas about doctors’ behaviour are still the basis of good practice nowadays.
• Said to have come up with Four Humours theory➡️Idea encouraged doctors to observe patients carefully and use natural treatments, used over 1000 years later.
• Hippocratic Corpus➡️Widely used during Ancient period and even into 18^th Century.
• Encouraged people to look for natural treatments and causes➡️Doctors encouraged to move away from supernatural so more likely to use effective treatments.
• Clinical observation➡️Easier for doctors to diagnose and treat illnesses, method still used today.

Question 11

To what degree were the Ancient Greeks able to perform surgery?

Answer 11

Due to warfare, they became experts at practical first aid and also learned about setting broken/dislocated bones. However, we have no evidence that the Greeks successfully performed surgery inside the body.

Question 12

To what degree did the Ancient Greeks have a public health system?

Answer 12

• No real public health system.
• No sewers or supplies of running water.
• Programme for health (exercise, diet and rest).
• Asclepions.