Ancient Chinese believed the need to
treat the whole body by curing the spirit and nourishing the body, and from
there began to search for medical reasons for illness which could have been the
start of mankind coming of age, during that period where mankind all over the
world started to think about the cause & reasons for the illness. Chinese started monitoring the pulse/blood
pressure through their ancient methods and thus found a way to determine
condition of the body, and they believed in treating the whole body rather than
as a part and the use of acupuncture was also discovered. Chinese also came to believe illness is a
result of natural causes. Stressed diet
and exercise as ways to prevent disease.
Chinese have also a recorded pharmacopoeia of medications based mainly
on the use of herbs and have been using therapies such as acupuncture.
Medicines of early times are still
used today like Digitalis (foxglove plant) used to slow & strengthen heart,
Quinine (bark of cinchona tree) are used for fever and muscle spasms. Morphine (opium poppy) are used in relieve
severe pain.
Ancient Greeks was considered the
first to observe the human body thoroughly and the effects of disease on the body
– this paved the way of health research that led to modern medical sciences. Ancient Romans were the first to organize
medical care by providing care for injured soldiers. During that era, due to the set up that have
been followed in ancient parts of the world, ancient Greeks hospitals were
religious and charitable institutions in monasteries and convents. Made the first public health and sanitation
systems by building sewers and aqueducts.
Their doctors also kept the sick in their home and wore death mask.
The earliest surgical operations in
human history is believed to have been carried out in prehistoric times in several
parts of the world – In Europe, In Asia and particularly in Peru, where
discoveries were made of well-preserved mummies that survived. Many of these mummies had a hole in the skull
which is believed to be the result of trepanning (also known as trephining or
trephination. It was also found that
there were healing in the bone around the wound in these mummies, and in skulls
found elsewhere, which is suggestive or indication that many of the patients
survived the operations in the prehistoric times. Also it cannot be ruled out that the reason
for the decision to cut a hole in a living skull could have been probably
religious pressure rather than medical reason as is the cause for modern
surgery. It could have been to let out
evil spirits or perhaps to give spiritual authority to the Medicine Man and the
ill person submits himself to the knife.
It is not known how such operations were done but surely some sort of
anesthesia would have been used without which it would be difficult to bear the
pain. It is not clear what method was
used to cut and scrape away the bone of the skull to cut a hole but it is
assumed to be a sharp flint.
