HST 113 Health, Disease and Healing in World History Midterm Examination Study Guide

These flashcards cover key terms and figures related to health, disease, and healing throughout world history as outlined in the study guide for the HST 113 midterm examination.

Endemic

A disease or condition that is regularly found and concentrated among particular people or in a certain geographic area, maintaining a constant presence within a population, rather than being widespread or introduced from elsewhere. An example is malaria in tropical regions.

Imhotep

An ancient Egyptian polymath, serving as an architect, engineer, and vizier, who is known as the first physician in recorded history. He was later deified for his wisdom and medical knowledge.

Peseshet

The title of an ancient Egyptian female physician, considered one of the earliest known female doctors in history, often associated with the Old Kingdom period.

Trephination

A surgical intervention where a hole is drilled or scraped into the human skull. This ancient practice was performed for various reasons, including to relieve intracranial pressure, treat head injuries, or believed to release evil spirits causing mental illness.

Code of Hammurabi

One of the oldest deciphered writings of significant length, this Babylonian law code dating back to around 1754 BC included detailed medical practices and ethics, outlining fees for successful treatments and punishments for medical malpractice.

Asclepius

The Greek god of medicine and healing, revered for his ability to cure diseases. His symbol, the Rod of Asclepius (a snake-entwined staff), is still used today to represent medicine and healthcare.

Hygiea

The daughter of Asclepius, who symbolized health, cleanliness, and sanitation. She played an important role in preventive health and the maintenance of well-being, rather than just curing illness.

Panacea

A mythical remedy for all diseases or difficulties, or a universal cure-all. In Greek mythology, Panacea was another daughter of Asclepius, goddess of universal remedies.

Empedocles

An ancient Greek pre-Socratic philosopher who proposed the theory that all matter is composed of four fundamental elements: earth, air, fire, and water. This concept heavily influenced early medical theories, particularly the theory of the four humors.

Alcmaeon of Croton

An early Greek philosopher and medical theorist, often considered one of the earliest anatomists. He is known for his work on sensory organs and for postulating that health results from a balance of opposing forces within the body, while disease is caused by an imbalance.

Peloponnesian War

A significant conflict in ancient Greece (431–404 BC) between Athens and Sparta. During this war, a devastating plague (often identified as typhus or smallpox) struck Athens, significantly impacting societal health, military strength, and the outcome of the war.

Aristotle

An ancient Greek philosopher and polymath who made foundational contributions to many fields, including logic, ethics, politics, and especially biological sciences. His systematic approach to observation and classification greatly influenced medical thought and anatomical studies for centuries.

Herophilus

An ancient Greek physician from Chalcedon, regarded as the 'father of anatomy.' He conducted many anatomical studies, including human dissection and vivisection, leading to detailed descriptions of organs like the brain, nerves, and distinguishing arteries from veins.

Theophrastus

An ancient Greek philosopher and pupil of Aristotle, known as the 'father of botany.' His extensive works in botany and natural history included descriptions and classifications of plants, their medicinal properties, and their uses, which were highly influential in ancient pharmacy.

Soranus

A prominent Greek physician of the Roman Empire, practicing in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. He is renowned for his extensive work on gynecology, obstetrics, and pediatrics, offering detailed advice on women's health, childbirth, and infant care.

Valetudinarium

A type of Roman military hospital specifically established for soldiers. These facilities were well-organized, featuring multiple rooms, sanitation systems, and dedicated medical staff, reflecting advanced military healthcare for their time.

Doshas

In Ayurvedic medicine, the three fundamental energies (Vata, Pitta, and Kapha) believed to govern physiological, mental, and emotional health in the human body. An imbalance in these doshas is thought to lead to disease.

Dhanvantri

The Hindu god of medicine and Ayurveda, often depicted as a celestial healer with a pot of ambrosia. He is believed to have emerged from the cosmic ocean during the Samudra manthan (churning of the ocean), bringing the knowledge of Ayurveda to humanity.

Sushruta

An ancient Indian physician and surgeon, often revered as the 'father of surgery.' He is the author of the Sushruta Samhita, an ancient Sanskrit text detailing surgical procedures, instruments, and concepts, including rhinoplasty and cataract surgery.

King Asoka

An Indian emperor of the Maurya Dynasty (reigned c. 268 to 232 BCE) known for promoting Buddhist ideals, including health, public welfare, and ethical governance. He established hospitals for both people and animals and encouraged the cultivation of medicinal herbs.

Bian Que

A legendary Chinese physician or a collective name for ancient skillful doctors, known for his extraordinary diagnostic abilities, particularly pulse diagnosis. Stories attribute to him advanced medical skills like resuscitation and internal organ diagnosis.

Inner Classics of the Yellow Sovereign

Also known as the Huangdi Neijing, this is an ancient and foundational Chinese medical text, considered the earliest systematic treatise on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). It covers various aspects of health, disease, prevention, and therapeutic principles like acupuncture and moxibustion.

Qi

The vital life force or energy in traditional Chinese medicine and philosophy. It is believed to flow through specific pathways in the body called meridians, and its balance and free flow are essential for maintaining health.

Moxibustion

A traditional Chinese medicine technique that involves burning moxa (processed dried mugwort) near certain acupuncture points on the body. This practice is used to warm and invigorate the flow of Qi, dispel cold, and maintain general health.

Acupuncture

A traditional Chinese medicine practice originating thousands of years ago, which involves inserting thin needles into specific points on the body's meridians. The goal is to balance the flow of Qi and stimulate the body's natural healing responses.

Hunayn ibn Ishaq

A prominent Arab Nestorian Christian physician, scholar, and translator during the Islamic Golden Age. He was instrumental in translating numerous Greek medical and scientific works, including those of Galen and Hippocrates, into Arabic, making them accessible to the Islamic world.

Abbas al-Zahrawi

An Arab physician, surgeon, and scientist who lived in Al-Andalus (Islamic Spain) in the 10th century. Known in the West as Abulcasis, he wrote 'Al-Tasrif,' a 30-volume medical encyclopedia that included detailed illustrations of surgical instruments and techniques, profoundly influencing European surgery.

Abu Bakr Muhammad al-Razi

A Persian polymath, physician, alchemist, and philosopher of the Islamic Golden Age, known in the West as Rhazes. He wrote over 200 books and articles, including 'Al-Hawi' (The Comprehensive Book of Medicine), emphasizing experimental medicine and clinical observation, and was a pioneer in pediatrics and ophthalmology.

Ibn Sina

Also known as Avicenna, a Persian polymath who was one of the most influential thinkers and physicians in the Islamic world. His monumental work, 'The Canon of Medicine,' compiled and synthesized Greco-Roman and Islamic medical knowledge, serving as a standard medical textbook in Europe and the Islamic world for centuries.

Constantine the African

A North African physician who brought a vast amount of Arabic medical knowledge to medieval Europe in the 11th century. His extensive translations of Arabic medical texts into Latin at Salerno were crucial in transmitting classical and Islamic medical wisdom to the West, greatly contributing to the revival of medicine in Europe.

Ala al-Din ibn al-Nafis

A Syrian-Arab physician of the 13th century who is best known for proposing an early and accurate description of the pulmonary circulation of blood. His work directly challenged widely accepted Galenic views of how blood circulated, laying groundwork for later discoveries by others like William Harvey.

Jabir ibn Hayyan

An Islamic scholar and polymath from the 8th century, often considered the 'father of chemistry' or 'alchemy.' His foundational contributions in alchemy, metallurgy, and medicine involved developing experimental methods and refining processes like distillation and crystallization, which also had applications in pharmacology.

Moses ben Maimon

A medieval Jewish philosopher and astronomer, born in Córdoba, Al-Andalus, and known as Maimonides. He was also a prominent physician who wrote several influential medical treatises based on a rational and holistic approach, integrating philosophical and spiritual considerations into health and healing.

Sun Simiao

A revered Chinese physician of the Tang Dynasty, often called the 'King of Medicine.' He is known for his extensive contributions to medical literature, including 'Qian Jin Yao Fang' (Essential Formulas for Emergencies Worth a Thousand Gold), his focus on medical ethics, and his work in public health and preventative medicine.

Qian Yi

A renowned Chinese physician from the Song Dynasty, considered the 'Sage of Pediatrics.' His groundbreaking work, 'Xiao'er Yaozheng Zhijue' (Formulas and Strategies for Pediatric Patterns), established the four diagnostic methods for children and significantly advanced pediatric understanding and treatment in China.

Ayurvedic

A system of traditional medicine that originated in India over 3,000 years ago. It is a holistic approach focused on balancing the body, mind, and spirit through diet, herbal remedies, yoga, massage, and lifestyle changes to promote health and prevent disease.

Taoism

A philosophical and religious tradition of Chinese origin that emphasizes living in harmony with the Tao (the 'Way' or 'path'). In Chinese medicine, Taoist principles often inform practices, stressing the balance of opposing forces (Yin and Yang) and the flow of Qi as essential for health and longevity.

Plague of Justinian

A devastating pandemic that affected the Byzantine Empire and parts of Europe, Asia, and Africa in the 6th century (541–549 AD). Caused by the bacterium Yersinia pestis, it is estimated to have killed tens of millions of people, significantly impacting global demographics and geopolitical structures.

Salerno

A city in southern Italy that became a prominent medieval center of learning and medicine. Its 'Schola Medica Salernitana' (Medical School of Salerno) was renowned as the first and most important medical school in medieval Europe, combining Greek, Latin, Arabic, and Jewish medical traditions.

Dame Trotula

An influential medieval woman physician associated with the School of Salerno. She is known for her major works on women's health, particularly 'Trotula Major' (Diseases of Women) and 'Trotula Minor' (On Women's Cosmetics), which covered gynecology, obstetrics, and general medical care for women.

Roger Bacon

An English medieval philosopher, Franciscan friar, and scientist of the 13th century. He advocated for empirical observation and experimental inquiry as foundational to scientific knowledge, influencing the development of scientific methodology, including in medical investigations.

Guy de Chauliac

A prominent French physician and surgeon of the 14th century. His monumental surgical treatise, 'Chirurgia Magna' (Great Surgery), compiled and integrated surgical knowledge from classical, Arabic, and contemporary sources, becoming the standard surgical textbook for centuries.

Henri de Mondeville

A French surgeon in the early 14th century, known for his innovative surgical practices and writings. He advocated for clear anatomical illustrations in his surgical teachings and preferred methods of dry wound healing, contrasting with the common wet dressings of his time.

Caffa

A medieval port city on the Crimean Peninsula, which played a crucial role in the initial spread of the Black Death to Europe in the mid-14th century. It is famously associated with the legend that plague-infected bodies were catapulted over the city walls by the besieging Mongol army, transmitting the disease to the inhabitants.

Ibn al-Khatib

An Arab historian, physician, poet, and philosopher who lived in Granada during the 14th century. He is known for his writings on the Black Death, particularly his work 'On the Plague,' in which he argued for the contagious nature of the plague and advocated for quarantine measures, dissenting from the prevailing belief that the plague was divine punishment.

Ergot

A fungal disease caused by species of the fungus Claviceps, primarily affecting rye and other cereals. Ingesting ergot-contaminated grain can lead to ergotism, a serious condition characterized by symptoms such as gangrene (St. Anthony's Fire), convulsions, hallucinations, and painful muscular spasms.

Gaspare Tagliacozzi

An Italian surgeon of the 16th century, considered a pioneer of reconstructive plastic surgery. He is celebrated for his sophisticated techniques for nasal reconstruction, particularly the use of a pedicle flap from the patient's own forearm to create a new nose.

Ambroise Paré

A French barber-surgeon of the 16th century who is regarded as one of the fathers of modern surgery. He pioneered numerous advances, including replacing boiling oil cauterization for wounds with gentler ligatures of arteries, and introducing anatomical prostheses, significantly improving patient survival and reducing suffering.

Guaiacum

A genus of flowering plants (Lignum vitae) whose resin and wood were historically used as a medicinal remedy, particularly for treating syphilis in the 16th century. It was popular as a New World remedy, believed to have diuretic and anti-rheumatic properties.

Paracelsus

A Swiss physician, alchemist, and astrologer of the 16th century, whose real name was Philippus Aureolus Theophrastus Bombastus von Hohenheim. He advocated for an empirical approach to medicine, focusing on observation, experience, and the use of specific chemical remedies for specific diseases, challenging traditional Galenic humoral theory.

Andreas Vesalius

A Brabantian anatomist and physician of the 16th century, who is considered the founder of modern human anatomy. His groundbreaking book, 'De humani corporis fabrica' (On the Fabric of the Human Body), published in 1543, revolutionized the study of anatomy through detailed descriptions and accurate illustrations based on human dissection.

Gabriele Falloppio

An Italian anatomist and physician of the 16th century, known for his comprehensive studies of the human reproductive system and detailed anatomical descriptions. He is credited with the first accurate description of the uterine tubes (fallopian tubes), as well as significant contributions to the anatomy of the ear and bones.

Bartolommeo Eustachio

An Italian anatomist and physician of the 16th century. He made numerous important anatomical discoveries, most notably the Eustachian tube (which connects the middle ear to the nasopharynx) and descriptions of the adrenal glands, kidneys, and venous valves.

William Harvey

An English physician who, in the early 17th century, was the first to accurately describe in detail the systemic circulation of blood pumped by the heart throughout the body. His seminal work, 'De Motu Cordis' (On the Motion of the Heart and Blood in Animals), challenged centuries-old Galenic physiology and laid the foundation for modern cardiovascular physiology.