Roman Medicine 50BC-410AD Flashcards
Causes. (3)
1) 4 humours-blood,black bile,yellow bile and phlegm.
2) Gods-Asclepius and Apollo.
3) Miasma Theory- coming from the swamps.
Treatments. (5)
1) Blood letting/purging-linked to the 4 humours.
2) Prayer to Asclepius and Apollo.
3) Herbal remedies.
4) Exercise,healthy diet and fresh air.
5) Theory of opposites.
Public Health. (5)
1) Aqueducts.
2) Lead pipes in some cities.
3) Sewers and drains.
4) Public Baths-more a place of business not cleanliness.
5) public toilets (latrines).
* You had to pay a fee for these so not all had access*
Training of Doctor. (3)
1) Not compulsory to have training-people would buy copies of Galen’s books.
2) Rich could afford enslaved,trained doctors from Greece.
3) Relied on the heads of house.
Hospitals. (4)
1) Light,airy and spacious.
2) Often 4 beds to a ward, 60 wards per hospital.
3) Prioritized the treatment and health of soldiers.
4) Focused on making people better.
Other people that cared for the sick. (2)
1) The father(paterfamilias)-only men could read so only men could care for them.
2) Herbal specialists.
Why Romans were so advanced. (6)
1) Logical explanations are promoted.
2) Strong Government (Emperor).
3) The empire can import new people,ideas and money.
4) Have to invest money in health for the army.
5) No overwhelming religion.
6) High level of control.
Galen. (3)
If cause of disease is natural treatment of disease must be natural. Work based on animal dissections as religious teaching do not allow human dissections.
Hippocrates. (3)
The Hippocratic collection(medical journals) contain the knowledge and information regarding disease. Hippocratic Oath doctors have a duty of care to patients i.e. confidentiality. Clinical observations.
People that believed in certain causes (4)
Crinas of Massilia believed in astrology
Varro blamed tiny creatures that were too small to be seen
Columella believed in miasma from swamps
Galen and four humours.
What did a Roman army doctor create to help treatments?who was he called?
Dioscorides
Assembled a list of 600 herbal cures in a “Herbarium” (a book that was used for the next 1000 years).
