The History of Medicine

Primitive man believed that headaches was the work of evil spirits who invaded the body of unfortunate individuals.

Letting the spirits out of the skull would bring relief. Thus, the ‘surgical’ procedure trepanning was born.

Trepanning

Average Lifespan?

Then, we started using leeches to 'unclog' the body of illness & started keeping 'medical records' to learn cause & effect

Ancient Egyptians

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Then, Religion prohibited dissection of the body, leading to inadequate knowledge of body structure

Believed in the need to treat the Whole Body

Used acupuncture to relieve pain and congestion

Ancient Chinese

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Then, we developed organized method to observe Human Body

Stressed diet and cleanliness as ways to prevent disease

Created high standard of ethics, the Oath of Hippocrates, still used today

Ancient Greek

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First to organize medical care by providing care for injured soldiers

Began Public Health and Sanitation Systems

Diet, exercise, and medications were used to treat disease

Ancient Romans

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Medicine During the Eras

Dark Ages - (400 – 800 AD)

The study of medicine was prohibited and emphasis was placed on saving the soul

Average Lifespan = 20 – 30 years

Middle Ages - 800 – 1400 AD

Renewed interest in medine, started medical universities

Arabs began requiring that physicians pass examinations and obtain licenses

Average Lifespan = 20 – 35 years

Renaissance- 1350 – 1650 AD

Rebirth of science of medicine
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Michelangelo and da Vinci used dissection in order to draw human body more realistically

Began to take a closer look at systems in the body

Average Lifespan = 30 – 40 years

Fun Facts

• 18/19th Centuries there was a Cadaver Shortage
• Why? Churchgoers believed in rising from grave, so dissection spoiled chances of resurrection.
• Solution? It became a consequence of murder. This started to deter crime

Fun Facts

• This started a rise in Grave Robbing
• Med Students & Professors would steal them.
• Anatomy studies were only conducted from October to May to avoid the smell of decomposition.
• Wealthy people chose to be buried in iron cages, some covered in concrete.

What Was It Like to be a Medical Student 140 years ago?

Fun Facts

• Entrance requirements were lower than they are for a good high school student.
• The terms lasted only 16 weeks, and after the second term the M.D. was automatically given, regardless of a student’s academic performance
• It was not uncommon for students to graduate without ever having touched a patient.

How have we evolved?