Midterm #3 Flashcards
dreams: Galen
“On Diagnosis in Dreams”: object is to attack Methodists for arguing that dreams are not diagnostic tools
–> importance of dreams: linked to humoral theory
–> still wants to believe that gods send dreams (consider his life story - dreams from Asclepius)
–> dream of: fire = yellow bile, black smoke/darkness = black bile, rain = blood, snow = phlegm
venesection after Galen
continues through to 19th century, exemplified through art and artifacts
–> fancy estates may have had “leecheries”, places to bleed out
–> practiced even after discovery of circulation; not disproved until clinical studies in late 1800s
Roman baths: procedure
man enters via main entrance, woman through the back
–> put clothes in change room; in lighter clothes, be covered in olive oil and exercise (ball games, boxing, wrestling - not naked)
–> have oil, dirt scraped off by bath attendants
–> bathe: hot bath near furnaces, tepid in middle, cold bath only for men on the far end (women already naturally cold)
–> bath complexes would also have apartments, shops, etc.
Caesarean section
in ancient world: only performed if woman is already dead
–> death during childbirth: child can only be saved if cut out as soon as possible
–> religious discourse: “special blessing” from the gods, as birth necessitated involvement of a man
venesection: basics
with needles; for generalized problems (e.g. insomnia), make incision in the arm; for localized (e.g. blindness, foot ache), make it as close as possible
–> take patient to stage of loss-of-consciousness
–> recognized as unsafe by Galen (would not perform on pregnant, elderly, those under 14); only done if considered strong enough to withstand procedure
–> use of medicinal leech for patients who could not tolerate excess blood loss (first record: Nicander)
Soranus
Greek gynecological author, in Rome during the Trajan era (98 - 117 CE)
–> Methodist, although advice often seems medical; frequently dissuades diagnosis based purely on cause or experience
–> evidence of continuity: even 500 years later, first priority for doctors is to declare sect association
archaeological evidence of surgery: cauteries
for burning; heat in fire (protecting one’s own hand), then burn tissue
–> made of iron
archaeological evidence of surgery: needles
for suturing; usually with hair (horsehair), and made of copper
care of the newborn: shift in understanding
previously believed that, after birth, oldest living free male would decide if child was raised or exposed
–> not true; rather, nurse would inspect for health, and expose if not
Roman gladiators: methods to stop bleeding
both Galen and Scribonius Largus do not recommend tourniquets; would supposedly squeeze out more blood, rather than stop the flow
–> instead: put finger in the wound; twist the blood vessel; try to tie off the vessel with hair, fine silk; or apply a styptic (something sticky to block movement of blood)
–> small wounds may benefit from cauterization
Roman army: background
Rome always had an army; by 1st century, it was standing
–> people would volunteer; if already a citizen, would serve 20 years before receiving benefits
–> non-citizens: serve 25 years to receive benefits, citizenship
gynecological treatises
only one gynecological treatise exists that is written by a woman –> yet to be translated
Asclepian temples
Epidaurus: oldest in mainland Greece, with museum (now), racecourse, theater
Pergamom: largest megacomplex, in Galen’s hometown and where Aelius Aristides went to be healed
Galen: anatomical knowledge
most mistakes are because of differences between animals and humans
–> not many of his own discoveries, but good at systematizing existing ones
–> first instance of blood having a “path”
Renaissance: anatomy demonstrations
England, Italy; pubic celebratory events (with music, food)
–> ritual: professor (lector) would read Galen; demonstrator (ostensor) would point to corresponding parts of body; cutter (sector) would make incisions
“crowd of gods”
new searches for guidance in Age of Anxiety meant Asclepius, Jesus, Isis, the sun…etc. became new gods
–> rise of new religions: state never attempted to control any growth, so theories abounded
Roman gladiators: old age
transitioned out; enslaved were sold and money was invested into someone new
Roman gladiators: doctors
very similar to military doctors; meant to keep gladiators alive, if necessary
–> arenas had attached doctors for specific medical care
–> note: Galen returns to hometown at 28 to become a gladiator doctor, which kickstarts his career
–> innovations: understandings of human anatomy (injury severity), suturing, wound cleaning (using unmixed wine), methods to stop bleeding
Cato’s “On Agriculture”
earliest work of Latin prose; helps create the sense of Roman identity
–> full of references to medicine (vehement distrust for doctors)
–> veterinary medicine, with no doctors required (do it oneself)
–> ingredients as local as possible
–> mix between rationality and magical ritual (more of latter)
Galen: “Affections and Errors (Peculiar to Each Person’s Soul)”
error: mistake of judgement by rational part of soul
affection: emotion, drive existing in non-rational part of soul
–> psychological advice: eliminate affections from soul by recognizing presence
–> have a “supervisor” who will tell you when affection is taking over; hard because of self-love, where we don’t believe our own faults
–> good supervisor: older, moral, calm/wise (outside affection)
problems with understanding mental health
–> how to find a good, trustworthy supervisor?
–> should all affections be treated the same?
–> would a person free of affections really be perfect, or complete?
Galen’s theory of venesection
“On Treatment by Venesection”: adoption of model of humors from “Nature of Man” (blood, phlegm, black bile, yellow bile)
–> “eukrasia” = good mixture, balance, healthy; “dyskrasia” = bad balance
–> residues: when we eat, food is ideally converted into blood by hematopoiesis; if process is not perfect, digestive waste will cause imbalance
–> purpose: evacuation (get rid of excess of humor, purge, by bloodletting); revulsion (attract excess humor to opposite point in body, which required knowledge of where that point was)
–> evacuation considered better than purging because doctor could be in control
growth of Rome
culture, literature, art, and religion lag; only start becoming “grand” when conquering of other territories begins
–> Romulus and Remus myth used to make sense of “late development”
–> “young culture”, used to “coming last”; almost all aspects of culture are drawn from others surrounding them
venesection: what did it treat?
anything related to an imbalance of humors (aches, illness, infertility)
–> did NOT work, and was so dangerous for the body; but survived because of psychological appeal