Medicine 50AD Flashcards
What are the rough dates for Ancient Rome?
50AD-1350
What were the main types of healers during the Roman period?
Asclepion Priest
Local Medicine Shop
Family Healer
Hippocratic Doctor
Army Surgeon
What common treatments would an Asclepion Priest offer his patients? (50AD-1350)
Night spent at the temple
Offerings to Asclepious
Swimming in baths/sea
Pray to Gods (esp. Asclepious)
What common treatments would a local medicine shop offer its patients? (50AD-1350)
Herbal remedies
Medicines using natural materials
Isolation of sick people
What common treatments would a Hippocratic Doctor offer to his patients? (50AD-1350)
(many employed by towns to care for poor)
Focus on rebalancing body
E.g: Blood letting
Would stress importance of Regimen
(healthy balanced lifestyle=healthy balanced body)
What common treatments would an Army Surgeon offer his patients? (50AD-1350)
Amputations
Drainage of fluids
What common treatments would a family healer offer their patients? (50AD-1350)
Family remedies that had been passed down gen.s
Charms
Isolation of sick patients
What were the common causes of disease 50AD-1350?
Retribution from Gods
Evil spirits
Imbalance of four humours in body
What was Hippocrates’ theory about the body?
Theory of the four humours
Explain the Theory of the Four Humours
Four humours in body: Blood Phlegm Black bile Yellow bile
–> imbalance in these resulted in disease
Why was the Theory of the Four Humours so important?
First scientific theory as to the cause of disease
What is Regimen?
Linked w/ 4 humours
Hippocrates believed that a healthy/balanced lifestyle resulted in having a healthy/balanced body(humours)
Included:
Daily exercise
Seasonal based meals
Hygiene
What is the Hippocratic Corpus?
Books written by Hippocrates’ followers (Drs) detailing illnesses, their symptoms and their causes
What was the Hippocratic Corpus useful for?
Accurate diagnoses&prognoses of diseases
Treating diseases
Training Hippocratic Doctors
Why was Hippocrates controversial?
His rejection of supernatural theories for causes of disease
What did Hippocrates stress in his work?
Clinical observation over treatment
Writing down symptoms of/progression of a disease to understand it
OVER
Treating as well as possible
Define public health
Govt/Monarch action to maintain health of a population
Who was Galen?
Surgeon/physician/showman
-started w. gladiators–> gave him understanding of anatomy (not allowed dissections)
Performed travelling public dissections on pigs
Developed Theory of Opposites
Wrote 100s of books
Supported by Church->ideas accepted
MADE MANY MISTAKES
Why did Galen do his dissections on animals?
Human dissection was banned
–>body=sacred-needed for afterlife
Why did Galen’s work include many mistakes?
What are some of these mistakes?
He only ever dissected animals
–>Assumed human anatomy was exactly the same
Refused to admit that there were gaps in his knowledge–>filled w. made up
Heart consumed blood
Place in body for soul
What did Galen prove?
That the brain controls the body-not heart
Why were Galen’s ideas accepted for ~1500 years?
Church endorsed him
-he believed that soul had a place in the body
Church in charge of all universities/Dr. trainingGoing against Galen=Going against Church=Hell
(people at time were legitimately scared of Hell)
Define public health
Measures the govt. take to maintain the health of a population
What was the quality of the public health of the Romans?
High
Why did the govt. 50AD-1350 emphasise public health so heavily?
Strong ph=Strong army
Roman empire relied on Army for control
What methods of PH did the govt. use 50AD-1350?
Bath houses (cheap admission-for everyone) Public latrines (could fit up to 20 people at once) Aqueducts transporting water into towns Planned building carefully (not on swampy marshes) Encouraged Regimen (Exercise and healthy diet) Sewage removed from cities-->pipe systems Refuse collection Burial outside of city walls Water access for everyone (poor=wells rich=into homes) Hospitals for soldiers
What was the order of events in a bath house 50AD-1350?
Undress Slaves pluck out body hair Massaged w/ oil-scraped off w. strig (takes off dirt+sweat) Steam room Large swimming pool Ice-cold plunge pool Warm room (relax,socialise,dress)
What role did public bath houses take in society 50AD-1350?
V important -available for everyone (most=once a week) Place of cleaning Exercise SOCIALISING -business meetings,philosophers etc.
What was the theory behind treatment of disease 50AD-1350?
Theory of Opposites
Explain the Theory of Opposites
Created by Galen
Disease=imbalance of humours
–>treat disease by rebalancing humours (adding or taking away)
What were methods of rebalancing humours as part of treatment of disease 50AD-1350?
Blood letting Laxatives Hot baths Chillis Cold baths Cucumbers
What was the training of Hippocratic Drs?
NOT COMPULSORY
v few trained in Alexandria
-Acting as apprentices for experienced Drs.
-Reading Hippocratic Corpus + work of Galen
-Took Hippocratic Oath
Name the method of prevention of disease used by the Romans
Explain the link they made between this and preventing disease
REGIMEN
- Regular exercise
- Seasonal balanced diet
Balance in humours=health
–>so live life in a balanced, controlled manner
Describe Roman hospitals
In forts–>ARMY ONLY
4 beds a ward
kitchen,bed, dispensary (making remedies)
Surgeons and assisstants
