Prehistory Medicine Flashcards
Who treated illness in Prehistoric times?
The Medicine Man/Shamen
How was illness treated in prehistoric times?
Mainly supernatural - charms, prayers, using quartz crystal.
Some natural - herbal remedies.
What did Prehistoric people think caused illness?
Supernatural ideas - Bad spirits entering the body or your spirit leaving your body.
What surgery could Prehistoric people do?
Basic external surgery e.g. Setting broken bones with mud casts.
Trepanning was used to release bad spirits.
Could Prehistoric people control pain, bleeding and infection?
Some herbal remedies used by medicine men had mild anaesthetic properties. They couldn’t control bleeding or infection.
What anatomical knowledge did Prehistoric people have?
No internal surgery meant no knowledge of anatomy.
What did people in Prehistoric times die of?
Warfare, starvation and hunting.
What did the government do to keep the people healthy in Prehistoric times?
People lived in nomadic tribes with no formal government. This meant there was no help for people from the government.
A nomadic lifestyle meant that human waste didn’t have chance to build up and cause public health issues.
What factors affected Medicine in Prehistoric times?
Religion - Prehistoric people believed spirits controlled everything. Medical ideas revolved around spirits.
Science & technology - Lack of technology e.g. stone instruments, hindered Medicine and surgery.
