We find that the “oldest written sources of western medicine are The Hippocratic writings from the 5th and 4th centuries BC; which covers all aspects of medicine at that time and contain numerous medical terms.”(Wulff) This was the beginning of the Greek era of the language of medicine, which lasted even after the Roman conquest, since the Romans, who had no similar medical tradition, imported Greek medicine. Most of the doctors practicing in the Roman Empire were Greek. The main reason for this is that the Greeks were the founders of rational medicine in the golden age of Greek civilization in the 5th century BC. The Hippocratic School and, later on, Galen formulated the theories which dominated medicine up to the beginning of the 18th century. The Hippocratic were the first to describe diseases based on observation, and the names given by them to many conditions are still used today. A second reason for the large number of Greek medical terms is that the Greek language lends itself easily to the building of compounds. When new terms were needed, with the rapid expansion of medical science during the last century, Greek words or Latin words with Greek endings were used to express the new ideas, conditions, or instruments. The new words follow the older models so closely that it is impossible to distinguish the two by their forms. The fact is that about one-half of our medical terminology is less than a century old. A third reason for using the classical roots is that they form an international language, easily understood by anyone familiar with the…
Galen was known as the greatest physician of the Roman Empire. He was born Claudius Galenus in Pergamum, an old Greek city on the Aegean coast of Asia minor. He is also known as the “master of medical philosophy.” Galen considered the study of philosophy to be essential to a physician's training. He developed and expanded physiology, and believed proper organ views was very important to anatomy and physiology. Galen also considered the love of money to be one of the worst reasons for becoming a physician.Galen was known as the greatest physician of the Roman Empire. He was born Claudius Galenus in Pergamum, an old Greek city on the Aegean coast of Asia minor. He is also known as the “master of medical philosophy.” Galen considered the study…
production of all animals, and to point, as it were, with a finger to His existence in His works. There Harvey studied under a student of Versalius, Fabricius, who had written a treatise on the valves in veins but hadn’t the vaguest idea about what they did other than that they might slow blood flow Since antiquity till the 18th century, the adjective “hereditary” was the one employed when a given trait was found to characterize a family or another genealogical group. When one reads the treatises that bear Hippocrates’ name, for many of these treatises are believed to have been written not by him but by his followers (1), one is impressed by the clinical acumen in the face of a nearly complete ignorance of the relation of disease to the structure and function of the human body. What remains of Hippocrates today is his “oath” (1); the physicians’ “Sermon on the Mount,” intended to initiate them into one of man’s noblest professions. Their attempts at providing coherent physical and metaphysical accounts of the…
The collision of cultures is seen through out the story of Lia and her family. Starting in the beginning of Lia’s story the same piece of information was being interpreted by two different cultures in different ways. The Merced Hospital Staff believed Lia suffered from Epilepsy. They believed it translated into Qaug dab peg. What was misunderstood is that quag dab peg were not really perceived as the same thing in Hmong culture as Epilepsy is in western medicine,…
Some of his other ideas are found in separate writings. In Hippocrates’ “Diseases,” he went further into the ideas of how the body worked, but focused more on the treatments of diseases. He delineated specific treatments for specific diseases throughout the majority of this essay, and went into detail about bleeding people or specific treatments. Treatments were suggested depending on what symptoms or signs the patient was showing. For example, Hippocrates had very deliberate instructions for the sign of a fever. Each treatment was interesting because his instructions were very specific about every step. For example, one of his steps included the instruction to “inject warm wine and oil into through a small tube.” The specificity of his writing indicated that the Greek view on health and maintenance of the body was highly regarded. The level of awareness for differing illness and their treatments showed that it was an important…
Medicine in Ancient Greece was a prominent field that took a holistic and natural approach to life and dealing with its misfortunes. While many would consider the Greek physician Hippocrates, the “Father of Western Medicine,” however, it was Aulus Cornelius Celsus, a medically-trained Roman army veteran and encyclopaedist from whom we derive much of our modern medical knowledge. Before Greek influences, the ancient Romans lacked structured and qualified medical knowledge and facilities to aid in attending to wounds and injuries. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the ancient Romans, chiefly the Roman Army, had some of the finest medical and surgical techniques and methods until the turn of the 18th century.…
When we think of Ancient Medical practices, we may imagine gruesome and even torturous events; however, it cannot be more far from the truth. With a rational and systematic approach when treating and diagnosing patients, Ancient Greek medicine played a significant role in influencing modern day practice. Furthermore, influential figures such as Hippocrates and Anaximander developed theories and concepts vital in explaining and diagnosing illnesses. Although there are various theories and practices that are imperative, I believe that the Four Humors, The Book of Prognostics, and De Materia Medica are the most important aspects of Ancient Greek medicine.…
Medics in the western civilization have been impacted by many of ancient Greece's contributions. Hippocrates, who created the Hippocratic Oath, also referred to as "the father of medicine”. The Hippocratic Oath states that Hippocrates will treat his patient to the best of his abilities and that he will refuse to give deadly medicine to his patients. (doc.4). Many medical students and doctors still take the oath and learn about it. Today, most graduating medical students swear to some form of the oath, but just usually a modernized version.…
Hippocrates was a Greek physician and that was highly reckoned as the superlative physician of his time. The human body and observation was his main focus and medical practice.…
Galen was a Greek physician who revived the wok of Hippocrates and other Greek doctors. Galen died in the Roman era but his work was still read in the medieval times. Regression in medicine was caused by many factors including war and religion which meant that doctors had to use cures and theories that had already been discovered such as Galen’s theory of the 4 humours and opposites. Due to lack of progress in the past 1000 year’s doctors continued to use Galen’s theories.…
Shapiro, Joseph P. "Expanding a right to die."U.S. News & World Report. April 15, 1996, Pg. 63.…
In the department of medicine, Hippocrates dramatically changed the games for the development of medicine (Document 8). It is undeniable and perhaps it is safe to say that all western thoughts that applied philosophy can trace its origin back to the Greek thinkers like Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle who brought in the Greek rational thinkings. The questions that were once brought in by the great philosophers are still being discussed in multiple courses such as religion and political issues (Document 3,4).…
They started with the concepts of diagnosis, treatment, and prevention. Medical researchers of that time period understood that in order to effectively use medicine for the betterment of human health, they needed to use the same methods that modern medicine uses. These findings were further advanced by the Greek who included medical ethics in their research and development of the subject. It was the Greek who developed the Hippocratic Oath which is taken by doctors today. This was during the 5th century. “The practice of medicine goes back to at least 3000 B.C., when the first written medical records appeared in Mesopotamia.” This shows that people were always drawn to the fact of good health and quick methods to achieve…
Human beliefs about the causes of illness and injury vary from one era to another. In the Neolithic times (c.a 8000- 9000 b.c ), illness and injury being common phenomena’s, were directly associated to natural events manipulated by higher powers which also controlled climate changes and other natural events. Overtime, healing ceremonies, songs, sacred objects, and incantations were developed as means of pacifying the evil forces which were believed to cause diseases, and illnesses. Then, during the period of intellectual development, ways of western medicine was first implemented by Hippocrates, who was regarded to as the most celebrated Greek practitioner and till date is known as the father of medicine. Hippocrates helped overcome the superstitious treatment by reinforcing western medical treatment techniques. Hippocrates applied a practical way of treating unwell individuals, that is, by making observations, such as taking temperature, respiration rate, putting his ear to the patient’s chest to hear the individuals heart beat, moreover, he promoted the idea of prognosis, where a forecast is made of a disease, according to him, this forecast, gave the patient knowledge about his or her condition and indirectly influenced, the being’s mental and physical condition. From these interactions with other people and experiences, Hippocrates wrote about health and healing. After him came Claudius Galen, a greek physician who referred to disease causing organisms as the source of diseases and illness. These organisms are today called pathogens – bacteria, virus and other infectious agents, until his theory came into light diseases and illness were viewed as consequences of evil acts, and in order to be freed of such acts, the individual was made to repent. Following which came the period of renaissance, Van Leeuwenhoek invented the microscope, which helped look into details of pathogens and their effects, following him, Harvey studied the mechanical principles related to…
370 BC- Hippocrates was a Greek physician of the Age of Pericles contributed to the field of medicine…