PHS Chapter 1: The History of Medicine

What did prehistoric people believe caused illness?

Believed to be caused by evil spirits of gods

What role did herbs play in early healing practices?

They help set broken bones

What is the Latin root of the word herb, and what does it mean?

Herba, plant

What does the term spiritual derive from, and what does it signify?

Spiritus, breathing or soul

What is a poultice, and how was it used in early medicine?

It is a soft moist material made from plants and it helps heal wounds

What pain-relieving substance is found in willow bark?

Salicin

Define trepanation and explain its purpose in ancient cultures.

Trepanation was used to treat people with health issues or to release spirits

What does the Greek root trypanon mean?

Bore

What archaeological evidence suggests prehistoric people survives trepanation?

Skull healing has shown that many patients have survived trapanation

Who was Otzi the Iceman, and what does he reveal about early medicine?

Otzi the Iceman was a man who lived thousands of years ago and he revealed that the people during that time had a sense of medicine according to his tattoos that could be linked to acupuncture

What medical items did Otzi carry?

Medicinal fungus

How did religion influence Egyptian views on illness?

Sickness was linked to spirits and gods

Who was Imhotep, and why is he significant in medical history?

He was known as an Egyption god of medicine

What does it mean that Imhotep was deified?

He was deified because of the fact that he was known as an Egyption god of medicine, meaning that he knew what remedies worked on a specific illness

What two major medical texts came from ancient Egypt?

The Smith Papyrus and the Ebers Papyrus

What type of information was found in the Smith Papyrus?

Practical treatment like stitching, bandages, and antiseptics

What did the Ebers Papyrus contain?

Spells and remedies for various ailments

What is the origin of the word Papyrus?

Papuros

Break down the word antiseptic into prefix and root.

Anti:against, Septic:disease

How did mummification contribute to anatomical knowledge?

It helped develop the first cadaver lab

What are the four humors in Greek medicine?

Blood, yellow bile, black bile, phlegm

What did Greek physicians believe caused illness?

They believed that is was caused by an imbalance of the four humors

What does the Latin root umor mean?

Fluid

Who was Hippocrates, and what is his significance?

He was the Father of Western medicine

What does a cute mean, and what is its Latin root?

It means sharp and its Latin root is acu

What does chronic mean, and what is its Greek root?

Chronic means something that lasts a very long time and its Greek root is chron

What practices did Hippocrates advocate for patient care?

A covered diet, rest, hygiene, and symptoms

How did Hippocratic medicine different from religious explanations?

His was just symptoms and patterns, no gods or spirits

What was Galen, and what was his contribution to medicine?

Galen of Pergamon synthesized Hippocrates’ ideas, he dissected animals for anatomical knowledge

What types of patients did Galen treat that informed his knowledge?

He treated gladiators

How long did Galen’s ideas dominate medicine?

Galen's ideas dominated medicine for over 1,400 years, influencing medical practice and education across Europe and the Islamic world

What public health innovations did the Romans create?

The Romans created aqueducts which are also ancient sewage systems, baths, and sanitation systems

Name three surgical tools used by Roman Physicians.

They used scalpels, hooks, and saws

How did medical knowledge change during the Dark Ages?

Medicine started to regress and superstitions, prayers, and religious rituals became popular again

What role did superstition play in medicine during this period?

Superstitions led to a decline in medical knowledge

What caused medicine to regress after the fall of Rome?

It led to instability which led to the fall of Scientific Medicine

When did the Black Death occur, and how many people died?

The Black Death occured from 1347-1351 and it killed one-third of Europe’s population

What bacteria caused the Black Death?

Yersinia pestis

How was the plague spread?

Fleas on rats

What were the symptoms of the bubonic plague?

Fever, buboes, gangrene

What does the term bubo mean, and where does it come from?

Bubo means groin swelling which is a Greek word

What treatments were used for plague victims in medieval Europe?

Bloodletting, charms, and religious penance

Why did many people blame themselves for getting sick?

They believed that they did something wrong to upset the gods or spirits

What were alchemists attempting to discover?

The philosopher’s stone

How did alchemists contribute to the development of pharmacology?

Created early chemical remedies which was and early version of pharmacies

In what way were alchemists both mystics and chemists?

They mixed science with mysticism

What is Qi, and how does it relate to Chinese medicine?

Vital energy

What are the principles of Yin and Yang?

Opposition and interdependence

What is the Yellow Emperor’s Classic, and why is it significant?

It emphasized Yin and Yang

Break down the word acupuncture into its parts

Acu-needle, puncture-small hole

What are the three doshas in Indian Ayurvedic

Vata-wind, Pitta-fire, and Kapha-earth

Who was Sushrute, and what was his contribution to medicine?

An ancient Indian surgeon, he contributed detailed surgical practices

How did Ayurvede treat illness differently than Western traditions?

They balanced the three doshas while Western traditions relied on normal medicine/treatment

What role did nature and spirit play in Native American healing?

Nature was used as remedies to help cure sickness and spirit played a role because of rituals

Name three herbal remedies used by Native American healers.

Willow bark, sage, and tobacco

How was Native American medicine communal?

They were intertwined by spiritual rituals

What is a shamon, and what role did they play in healing

A shamon led rituals and treatments

List three common shamanic healing practices.

Chanting, drumming, and herbal remedies

What is one reason shamanism developed in many different regions?

Shamanism was practiced globally

What kinds of materials were used in African traditional medicine?

Roots, bark, and animal parts

Why is botanical knowledge important for African healers?

They were important because African healers depended on plants for their medicine

What are the two types of healers in ancient Mesopotamian medicine?

Ashipus and Asu

What were the roles of the Ashipu and the Asu?

Ashipus which was rituals and spells and Asu which was practical healers

What was Hammurabi’s Code, and how did it influence medicine?

Physicians held accountable for treatment outcome and malpractice

Break down the term malpractice into prefix and root.

Prefix-mal meaning bad, root-practice meaning to perform an activity over and over

Why was legal accountability important in early Mesopotamian medicine?

It was important so that if someone dies because of a doctor’s actions, justice could be served

Who was Al Rhazi and what text did he write?

He wrote a book called Kitab al-Hawi

What does Kitab al-Hawi mean in English?

Its means book comprehensive

What did Al Rhazi emphasize in clinical training?

He believed in cleanliness in healing wounds and treating infections

What principle did Al Rhazi promote long before germ theory?

He emphasized careful observation, clinical experience, and experimentation

Who was Ibn Sina and what was his most famous book?

His most famous book was The Canon of Medicine

What does the word canon mean in the title The Canon of Medicine?

The word canon means role

What idea did Ibn Sina introduce about how diseases spread?

It explained the concept of contagious diseases

What is the root meaning of the word contagion?

The root meaning is con which means together

What did Ibn Sina believe about the causes of disease?

It explained how disease spread through water, soil, and air

What role did Greek and Roman texts play in Arab-Islamic medicine?

The medicine was built upon Greek and Roman medicine, especially Galen

What are the four humors in ancient Greek medical theory?

The four humors are blood, yellow bile, black bile, and phelgm

What did physicians believe happened when the humors were imbalanced?

The believed that imbalance would cause disease

What treatments were used to restore balance in the humors?

Bloodletting, purging, and diet or lifestyle change were used to restore balance

What does the term phlegm mean in its Greek root?

It means inflammatory also known as swelling

What is the origin of the term melancholia?

Melas meaning black and khole means bike

Who are the two key historical figures associated with humorism?

The two historical figures associated with humorism are Galen and Hippocrates

What elements or emotions were linked with each humor?

The belief that removing blood would restore balance and performed by barbers and surgeons

What role did bloodletting play in humor-based medicine?

Bloodletting allowed the blood to flow

What belief system justified the use of purging as treatment?

To help restore imbalance

What is the Latin origin of the word humor?

The origin umor means liquid

Where did major medical schools emerge during the Arab revival?

They were located in the Middle East, North Africa, and Spain

What was the significance of the Salerno Medical School?

It was the first Western university to teach medicine

What kind of treatments became more common with formal schooling?

Hospital based treatment started to become more common

What is the origin of the word hospital?

The origin of hospital is hospes which means guest or host

What does the Greek word cheirourgia mean?

It means handword or working with hands

How did formal education shift medicine away from apprenticeships?

It helped establish actual medical treatment

What regions preserved and expanded classical medical texts?

The Middle East , North Africa, and Spain

Why was the development of disease-specific wards important?

It helped focus on diseases

Who was Andreas Vesalius and what did he publish?

He was known for performing dissections on human cadavers, he also published De Humani Corpis Fabrica

What is the full tite of Vesalius’s anatomical text?

De Humani Corpis Fabrica

What does De Humani Corporis Fabrica translate to?

It translates to body fabric

What was revolutionary about Vesaliu’s use of human dissection?

He refused animal directions, he also emphasized direct observation

Whose anatomical mistakes did Vesalius correct?

He wrote a book correcting Galen’s errors

What is the Latin root of the word corpus?

The root of corpus means body