PHS/Chapter 1/ History and Trends of Healthcare-Flashcards

What did prehistoric people believe caused illness?

Evil spirits or gods

What role did herbs play in early healing practices?

Healing and spiritual rituals

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/soul

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

It is mashed up herbs

What pain relieving substance is found in willow bark?

Salicin or so called “early aspirin”

Define Trepanation and explain its purpose in ancient cultures.

Trepanation is the surgical practice of drilling or scraping a hole into the skull. Its purpose was to treat health issues such as head injuries, epilepsy, and to release pressure or spirits.

What does the Greek root trypanon mean?

Trypanon:Bore- used to treat head issues or release spirits

What archaeological evidence suggests prehistoric people survived Trepanation?

Many people survived as it was seen in skull healing

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

He was a guy who had tattoos that could’ve been linked to acupuncture and he carried medicinal fungus, which was a antibiotic

What medicinal items did Otzi carry?

Medicinal fungus

How did religion influence Egyptian views on illness?

They thought that illnesses were linked to gods and spirits

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

He was the Egyptian god of medicine, he used potions and religious remedies

What does it mean that Imhotep was deified?

It means that people listened to him

What 2 major medical texts came from ancient Egypt?

Smith Papyrus and Ebers Papyrus

What type of information was found in the Smith Papyrus?

Practical treatments like stitching, bandages, and antiseptics

What did the Ebers Papyrus contain?

Spells and diagnosis remedies for various ailments, as well as 700 remedies

What is the origin of the word Papyrus?

Greek origin papyros

Break down the word antiseptic into prefix and root.

The prefix is “anti” meaning “against”; The root “septics” means “disease”, so this word basically means against disease.

How did mummification contribute to anatomical knowledge?

It enhanced anatomical knowledge by providing surgical tools made of flint or obsidian

What are the 4 humors in Greek medicine?

Blood, Yellow bile, Black bile, and Phlegm

What did Greek physicians believe caused illness?

The Greek physicians believed that illness was caused by imbalance in the 4 humors.

What does the Latin root umor mean?

Fluid

Who was Hippocrates, and what is his significance?

The father of Western medicine; He promoted observation and systemization. He even advocated for diet, rest, hygiene, and symptoms. He shifted focus from gods and spiritual spirits to symptoms and patterns.

What does acute mean, and what is its Latin root?

Acute means sharp'; Latin root-acutus

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

Chronic means over a long period of time, and its Greek root is “chron”

What practices did Hippocrates advocate for patient care?

He advocated for diet, hygiene, rest, and symptoms

How did Hippocratic medicine different from religious explanations?

Hippocratic medicine started focusing on patterns and symptoms rather than spiritual and gods like factors, such that religious explanations depended on.

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

He was the guy who started Roman Medicine and he synthesized Hippocrates and Greek ideas, dissected animals for anatomical knowledge, treated gladiators, and he was influential for over 1400 years.

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

He dissected animals for anatomical knowledge .

How long did Galen’s ideas dominate medicine?

His ideas dominated medicine for 1400 years.

What public health innovations did the Romans create?

They built aqueducts, baths, and sanitation systems

How did medical knowledge change during the Dark Ages?

Medical knowledge changed drastically, since the Dark Ages was the decline of Scientific Medicine. There was a return to superstition, prayers

What role did superstition play in medicine during this period?

It caused there to be little effective treatment.

What caused the medicine to regress after the fall of Rome?

People started focusing on superstitions rather then other factors and this led to more plagues that devastated populations.

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

The Black Death appeared 1347-1351 and it killed 1/3 of European population.

What bacteria caused the Black Death?

Yersinia pestis

How was the plague spread?

Bacteria and 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?

It has Greek origins meaning groin swelling

What treatments were used for plague victims in medieval Europe?

Bloodletting, charms, and religious penance

Why did many people blame themselves for getting sick?

Because they thought God was punishing them for something they did.

What were alchemists attempting to discover?

They sought philosopher’s stone

How did alchemists contribute to the development of pharmacology?

They created early chemical remedies

In what way were alchemists both mystic and chemists?

Because they mixed science with mysticism and created early chemical remedies.

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

Qi, often translated as "life force" or "vital energy," is a foundational concept in Chinese medicine that describes the flow of energy throughout the body. It relates to Chinese medicine because it used needle acupuncture, and it was the Yellow Emperor’s Classic.

What are the principals of Yin and Yang?

Yin and Yang are fundamental concepts in Chinese philosophy and medicine representing opposite forces that are interconnected and interdependent, influencing health and balance in the body.

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

The Yellow emperor’s classic is Qi; It’s important, since it focuses on health and balance and it was a fundamental theory in Chinese medicine.

Break down the word acupuncture into its parts.

acu means needle and puncture means to penetrate.

What are the 3 doshas in Indian Ayurvedic medicine?

Vata, Pitta, and Kapha

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

He was a Detailed Surgical Practitioner, he used herbs, surgery, and lifestyle changes

How did Ayurveda treat illness differently than Western traditions?

Ayurveda treated illness differently since they worked on balancing the three doshas (wind, fire, and earth).

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

Shamans led rituals and treatments. Health was seen as natural/spiritual balance.

Name 3 herbal remedies used by Native American healing.

Willow bark, Tobacco, and Sage

How was Native American medicine communel?

Because they practiced Shamanism, just like a lot of other countries.

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

Shamans are intermediaries with spirits, they used techniques including chanting, drumming, and herbal remedies. They were relied on to help with treatments.

List 3 common shamanic healing practices.

Chanting, Drumming, and herbal Remedies

What is one reason Shamanism developed in many different regions?

Shamanism developed in many different regions, because they provided spiritual healing.

What kinds of materials were used in African traditional medicine?

Roots, bark, and animal parts

Why is botanical knowledge important for African healers?

Because healers used botanical knowledge and they used to heal combining the forms of spiritual rituals and herbal medicine.

What are the 2 types of healers in ancient Mesopotamian medicine?

Ashipus and Asu

What are the roles of the Ashipu and the Asu?

Ritual and Practical healing.

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

It was a code written by a king in 1750 BC that influenced accountability of physicians for the outcome of the treatment as well as malpractice.

Break down the term malpractice into prefix and root.

Prefix- mal meaning bad or incorrect; Root- practice meaning to provide application of

Why was legal accountability important in early Mesopotamian medicine?

Since it was written in the Hammurabi’s code of 1750 BC, and if the patient were to die, then the healer would also be executed.

Name 3 surgical tools used by Roman physicians.

Scalpels, Hooks, and Saws

Who was Al Rhazi and what text did he write?

He was a Persian physician who wrote extensively on medicine. He wrote the Kitab al-Hawi

What does Kitab al-Hawi mean in English?

A comprehensive Book

What did Al Rhazi promote long before germ theory?

He promoted cleanliness in healing wounds and treating infections

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

He was a Persian physician, he wrote The Canon of Medicine

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

Rule

What idea did Ibn Sina believe about the causes of disease?

Water, Air, and soil

What is the root meaning of the word contagious

Touch - tangere

What did Ibn Sina believe about the causes of disease?

That they were contagious.

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

They introduced new concepts to people such as contagious diseases

What are the 4 humors in ancient Greek medical theory?

Blood, Yellow bite, Black bite, and Phlegm

What did physicians believe happened when the humors were imbalanced?

That balance had to be restored and that diseases were caused because of the imbalance in your bodily fluids.

What treatments were used to restore balance in the humors?

Bloodletting, Purging, and Diet or lifestyle changes

What does the term phlegm mean in its Greek root?

inflammation

What is the origin of the term melancholia?

Greek words “melas” meaning “black” and “chole” meaning “bile”

Who are the 2 key figures associated with humorism?

Hippocrates and Galen

What did Al Rhazi emphasize in clinical training?

He emphasized careful observation, clinical experience, and experimentation

What elements or emotions were linked with each humor?

Phlegm- Water, Blood- Air, Yellow bile- Fire, and back bile- Earth

What role did bloodletting play in humor-based medicine?

When the humor’s weren’t balanced, one of the treatments to cure it was bloodletting.

What belief system justified the use of purging as treatment?

The 4 humor theory

Latin origin of the word humor?

Fluid-umor

Where did major medical schools emerge during the Arab revival?

Middle East, North, Africa, and Spain

What was the significance of the Salerno Medical School?

It was the 1st Western university to teach medicine

What kind of treatments became more common with formal schooling?

Hospital-based treatment

What is the origin of the word hospital?

hospes- guest/host

What does the Greek word cheirourgis mean?

physical hand, fingers, or wrist

How did formal education shift medicine away from apprenticeships?

It increased the scientific knowledge in the area and reliance shifted towards animal dissections

What regions preserved and expanded classical medical texts?

Why was the development of disease-specific wards important?

So that they could stop the disease from spreading and causing mass death.

Who was Andreas Vesalius and what did he publish?

He was an anatomist and he published De Humani Corporis Fabrica.

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

De Humani Corporis Fabrica

What does De Humani Corporis Fabrica translate to?

The human body fabric

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

He rejected reliance on animal dissection and used fresh dead bodies to do dissection on.

Whose anatomical mistakes did Vesalius correct?

Galens

What is the Latin root of the word corpus?

Body- corporis