Pre Historic Medicine Flashcards
What sort of treatments were there in prehistoric times?
Herbal remedies
Supernatural means (singing, dancing, praying)
Who treated people in prehistoric times?
They treated themselves
They were treated by the medicine man
Witch doctors
Describe witch doctors and what they did
Dress up as an animal
Try to scare evil spirits away
What was trepanning?
An operation where part of the skull would be removed to release evil spirits
What two type of people were there in prehistoric times?
Nomadic people
Hunters & gatherers
Give reasons why farming was healthier than hunting & gathering
Farmers had specialised medicine men
Hunters & gatherers were often injured whilst hunting
Farming allowed a more reliable income of food
Give reasons why hunting & gathering was more healthy than farming
Diseases spread more easily in farming communities (stagnant + large populations)
Farmers contracted diseases from their animals
Nomadic lifestyle meant hunters & gatherers were less likely to pollute rivers
Farming attracts vermin
