Week 1: Medicine before Hippocrates Flashcards
Periods of time in Graeco-Roman Archaeology
a) Paleolithic (40,000 - 7,000)
b) Neolithic (7000 - 3500)
c) Bronze (3500 - 1100)
d) Geometric/Dark Ages (1100 - 700)
e) Archaic (700 - 500)
f) Classical (500 - 323)
g) Hellenistic (323 - 146)
h) Roman Republican (146 - 31BC)
i) Imperial Era (31BC - 476 AD)
Paleolithic Period (40,000 - 7,000)
a) Stone age (Caves)
b) Fire / Agriculture
Neolithic Period (7,000 - 3,500)
a) Settlement in permanent villages
b) Stone tools shaped by polishing
c) Dependence on domesticated plants or animal
Bronze Age (3,500 - 1,100)
a) Tools made up of bronze (Cu+Sn)
b) Troy war (Achilles shield made up of bronze)
Geometric Period (1,100 - 700)
a) Iron as currency
b) Geometric art
Archaic Period (700 - 500)
a) Accomplishments in science and astronomy
b) Godians brough destruction by coming to mainland
c) Nominal values of coins
Classical Period (500 - 323)
a) Art floureshes
b) Science comes stronly
c) Rationalized science
Hellenistic (323 - 146)
a) Alexander the Great
b) Developments in science/math
c) First time dissections allowed
Roman Republic Period (146 - 31BC)
The Greek peninsula fell to the Roman Republic
Imperial Era (31BC - 476AD)
a) Octavian defeated Marc Anthony
and named himself first citizen
b) The fall of Rome signified the end of the ancient world
Why did humans survive several catastrophic events (e.g., Toba eruption / Ice Age)? (2)
a) In touch with their environment
b) Sufficiently adaptable
What did humans find in the natural world?
a) Challenges / Danger (Poison)
b) Opportunities (Cure)
Source: Priscianus Euporiston
How did ancient physicians describe the drive to heal the sick?
Philanthropy
Who invented medicine?
It arose naturally, out of empathy and human need to help the sick
With both natural and supernatural means
Examples of medical methods used to heal the sick
Set a broken bone
Disinfect a wound using herbs
What happened in the Neolithic period?
Humans settled into communities, giving rise to cities
What happened in the settlements that were established during the Neolithic period?
More materials became available used for healing and disinfecting
a) Wine
b) Beer
c) Plants
What were the consequence of not properly understanding the nature of the disease?
a) Resources of early healers were inadequate
b) Help from higher powers was sought
If disease could be blamed on spirits and deities, …
they could also heal the sick
Apollo (Powers / Domain)
Sun/Light/Music/Harmony/Healing
Hippocratic Oath (Hierarchy)
Apollo => Asclepius => Hygieia => Panacea
Christian patron saints that substituted the pagan gods
Luke the Evangelist
Cosmas and Damian
St. Artemios
In the Iliad, what is the direct cause of the plague afflicting the Greeks?
Apollo firing arrows
In the Iliad, what did the Greeks have to do to stop the plague?
a) Appease priest Chryses (Returning daughter)
b) Sacrifice to Apollo
Asclepius was a mortal healer in the Iliad. When did he begin to be thought of as a deity?
5th century BC
Where can you see the use of natural treatments in the Illiad to heal the sick?
The two sons of Asclepius healed with natural means.
How is disease perceived in other cultures (e.g. Christianity)?
Possession by an unclean spirit or demon, which needed to be exorcised
Which disease was called “sacred” by the Greeks?
Epilepsy
Which culture resembles Greek medcinie before Hippocrates?
Egyptian medicine
Characteristics of ancient Egyptian medicine
Mix of the natural and the supernatural (Never separated)
a) Gods and spirits were involved in health, so evil spirits needed to be expelled
b) First civilization that used extensive natural treatments for health conditions
The Eber Papyrus is an extraordinary document because
Proves that natural treatments (concotions) were employed along with religious practices (exorcism)
a) Herbal knowledge
b) Magical formulas
c) Folk remedies (Diabetes mellitus / Birth control)
Characteristics of pre-Hippocratical medicine
Blend of the natural with the supernatural, augmented by folk tradition and beliefs
How does the author of Ancient Medicine perceived this blend of medical tradition?
Urges critical respect
When and where did the Greek Enlightenment occur?
5th Century in Athens
What happened during the Greek Enlightenment?
Reason was the primary tool to:
a) Find solutions to many problems
b) Understand the natural world
c) Forge a civilization with informed progress
How was the new relationship between medicine and religion/folk tradition?
a) Broke away from them
b) Understood health / disease as natural processes through humanity’s ability to reason
What was the major contribution of Hippocratic medicine?
The use of reason
What influence medical decisions?
a) Scientific developments
b) Politics (Prevailing ideologies)
c) Personality clashes
d) X-Factor
e) Economics
Which political factor played a decisive and positive role in the progress of medical research in history?
Democracy
a) Free discussion of ideas
