The history of medicine. Medicine in ancient Greece

by Kasatikova Polina From group 219

theories and practices that were constantly expanding through new ideologies

and trials.
The ancient Greeks believed the humors, geographic location, social class, diet, trauma, beliefs, and mindset affected health.
Early on the ancient Greeks believed that illnesses were "divine punishments" and that healing was a "gift from the Gods".

long time the basis upon which to develop medical reasoning.

This theory of the Four Humours includes the following excretes: blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile.

special.
They noted that:
7 x 4 is 28, the length of

the lunar month and the menstrual cycle
7 x 40 is 280, the number of days of a full-term pregnancy
They also believed that a baby that was born in the 7month rather than the 8, would enjoy better health.
The 40-day quarantine period to avoid disease contagion comes from the idea that the number 40 is sacred.

BC to 377 BC. Greek medicine was based on the

work of Hippocrates.

Corpus and developed the Hippocratic Oath for physicians which is

still in use today. In addition Hippocrates founded a medical school in Kos.

the following medical terms:
acute and chronic
endemic and epidemic
convalescence
crisis
exacerbation
paroxysm
peak
relapse
resolution

spirits could cause or cure disease. Essentially Hippocratic medicine allowed

diseases to run their natural course with doctors giving treatments such as herbal remedies to ease pain.

and thought should a doctor resort to Surgery, which in

a world without anesthetics was not always successful.

remove tip of arrow and other part of weaponry. They also

carried out amputations, for example, to stop the spread of gangrene.
They would close a wound using thread, and dress it with sponge or linen soaked in vinegar, wine, oil, or water, seawater, honey, or powdered plants.
Then they recommended the patient to consume foods, such as celery, which they believed had anti-inflammatory properties.
The ancient Greeks believed that pus was useful for removing toxins from the body an idea that persisted into medieval times.

Humours was an important development in medical knowledge, which originated

in the works of Aristotle. The Greeks believed that the body was made up of four main components or Four Humours. These Four Humours needed to remain balanced in order for people to remain healthy.

within the body- blood, phlegm, yellow bile and black bile.

These fluids may be connected to the four seasons of the year: Yellow Bile with summer, black bile with autumn, phlegm with winter and blood, with spring.

argued that the balance of the four humors will be

the most effective in these particular seasons. For example, if someone had a fever doctors thought that patients had too much blood in their body. The logical cure therefore is to «bleed» the patient.

Worshippers built large temple complexes around Greece in his name.

Throughout the period and into the era of the Roman Empire people would visit these temples to be cured. The cult of Asclepius is remembered today because the name of his daughter Hygeia. The science of hygiene was named after her.

of the temples) a patient should take part in a

number of rituals, which it was believed would cure the disease. These rituals consisted of:
Making sacrifices
Bathing
Sleeping in the yard

some public health systems that enabled clean water to deliver

to towns and waste to be disposed of. The quality and type of public health available varied from one City State to the next. Much of what the Greeks had developed formed the basis of the more substantial Public Health works conducted by the Romans.

are included in the Humours theory?
What has changed in Greek

medicine since the arrival of Hippocrates?
What was the name of Asclepius' daughter?
What did the rituals in the temples consist of?