Roman Medicine

Question 1

What was the impact of having a larger empire on the development of medicine?

Answer 1

It helped because it meant better communication, better trade links and new herbs and spices. A bigger area also means more illnesses and disease to discover.

Question 2

What was the impact of having stronger laws and rules on the development of medicine?

Answer 2

This hindered medicine because it meant safer, healthier people, less illness and less treatments discovered.

Question 3

What was the impact of war on the development of medicine?

Answer 3

As there was so much war, it helped medicine. It meant more illness, disease and wounds to treat and cure, and further development into how to do so.

Question 4

What was the impact of having a permanent army on the development of medicine?

Answer 4

A permanent army meant more injuries to treat, more frequently resulting in doctors constantly creating new treatments.

Question 5

What was the impact of having large cities on the development of medicine?

Answer 5

Large cities with high populations meant more diseases that needed to be cured and treated.

Question 6

What was the impact of having Greek ideas and doctors on the development of medicine?

Answer 6

This hindered medicine because it meant Greek ideas were relied upon rather than developed and questioned.

Question 7

Name 4 Roman surgical instruments

Answer 7

Scalpel, forceps, tongue depressor and spatula.

Question 8

Name a sedative commonly used in the Roman Empire

Answer 8

Opium

Question 9

How was gangrene treated in Ancient Rome?

Answer 9

It was treated by amputation.

Question 10

How were cataracts in the eyes treated?

Answer 10

Removed using fine needles.

Question 11

How was pain in the head commonly treated?

Answer 11

Trephining - drill a hole in the skull.

Question 12

Who was Dioscorides and what big thing did he do?

Answer 12

He was a former army doctor who wrote a book of 600 remedies for illness - 20 percent of which would have worked!

Question 13

What was the biggest difference between Roman and Greek development in medicine?

Answer 13

Romans were very practical and the Greeks liked to create theories and ideas.

Question 14

What does sanitation mean and what did the Romans create which was a form of it?

Answer 14

Sanitation means bringing clean water into a place and taking dirty water out. An example is the aqueducts the Romans built.

Question 15

How much water was channelled in and out of Rome via aqueducts per day?

Answer 15

Around 200 million gallons of water was channelled via 9 aqueducts.

Question 16

Describe Roman toilets - how many seats? how did it fit in with other systems? why did they use it?

Answer 16

Romans used public toilets with around a dozen holes in one area. All the water and waste would be taken away by the aqueducts keeping people drinking and waste water separate.

Question 17

What was the purpose of public fountains and baths?

Answer 17

Public fountains provided clean drinking water. Public baths provided a place to wash, exercise and socialise.

Question 18

How were hospitals different from aqueducts, baths, fountains and public toilet?

Answer 18

Hospitals were a cure for disease not a prevention.

Question 19

Why was public health mainly focussed on prevention not cures?

Answer 19

Romans didn’t have time to think up cures and treatments - they were more practical.
If people didn’t get disease in the first place it wouldn’t cost lots of money to cure it.

Question 20

Name 6 features of the Roman Empire

Answer 20

Larger empire that had moved west
Stronger laws and rules
Lots of invading therefore lots of war
A permanent army 
Large cities with large populations
They captured Greek doctors and used Greek ideas

Question 21

When and where was Galen born?

Answer 21

He was born in AD129 in Greece.

Question 22

In AD162 he travelled to _____ and became doctor to the ______ ________.

Answer 22

He travelled to Rome and became doctor to the Roman Emperor.

Question 23

What did Galen prove by cutting a pigs nerves?

Answer 23

He proved the brain was the most important organ in the body and that it controlled the voice box.

Question 24

What was Galen’s big theory?

Answer 24

The theory of opposites - if you are cold eat something hot.

Question 25

Around how many books did Galen write?

Answer 25

He wrote around 60 books.

Question 26

Who did Galen base his ideas on?

Answer 26

Hippocrates - for example, the theory of opposites was adapted from the theory of the 4 humours.