Roman➡️c.250BC- c.1400AD

Question 1

What did the Ancient Romans believe about causes of illness?

Answer 1

• Four Humours.
• Miasmas➡️Bad smells.

Question 2

What irrational treatments did the Ancient Romans use?

Answer 2

• Salus➡️Goddess of Healing.
• Greek god Asklepion.

Question 3

What rational treatments did the Ancient Romans use?

Answer 3

• Herbs➡️’Herbarium’ written (600 remedies listed).
• Four Humours.
• Clinical Observation.
• Preventative➡️Personal hygiene, diet and exercise.
• Public Health➡️Doctors for all, fresh water (aqueducts and fountains), waste disposal (sewers and latrines), cheap public baths.
• Simple external surgery such as a Caesarean section.

Question 4

Who provided medical care in Ancient Rome?

Answer 4

• Greek doctors brought as slaves.
• Hospitals➡️Medici, military nurses, skilled surgeons.

Question 5

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

Answer 5

• New herbs e.g: opium due to new territories.
• Medici, Engineers and Army➡️Army incentive for hospitals.
• Miasmas.
• Public Health System➡️Army is incentive.

Question 6

What continuations can be found between Greek and Roman times and why?

Answer 6

Four Humours and other Greek treatments➡️Ancient Greece captured and Greek doctors + ideas used by Romans.

Question 7

How was Galen good?

Answer 7

✅Wrote 60 medical books, some of which were used for 1500years+.

✅Some of his work on anatomy was correct➡️Brain controlled the body through nerves (experiment with pig).

✅Encouraged doctors to dissect to improve understanding of human body, if not in Alexandria then to dissect animals (this led to some incorrect findings).

✅Developed Hippocrates’ four humours theory with opposites.

Question 8

How was Galen not good?

Answer 8

❌Galen believed each part of the body was designed by a ‘Creator’. However, this did appeal to Christianity and Islam therefore his ideas were listened to and continued for a long time.

❌Galen dissected animals, not humans➡️Some of his work was incorrect, such as jaw bone made of two bones and blood passing through septum.

❌Galen claimed pus was a sign of healing, which is incorrect.

Question 9

How did the collapse of the Roman Empire affect medicine?

Answer 9

• Settling barbarians didn’t speak Latin➡️Lack of communication, so they couldn’t read medicine journals.
• War destroyed many Roman achievement➡️Public health system destroyed, and there were no engineers to rebuild it.
• Travel was dangerous with frequent wars➡️Medical supplies cannot be transported and ideas cannot spread.
• Central government replaced with small feuding kingdoms➡️Not enough money or organisation to set up public health.