History of Medicine: Prehistoric Practices

Study Notes

Healers utilized herbs, plants, and animal parts for remedies, relying on the natural environment.
Spiritual beliefs played a significant role in understanding health and illness, often associated with supernatural forces.
Rituals and shamanism were crucial, with medicine men/women serving as healers.
Early surgical practices included trepanation, evidenced by drilled holes in skulls, possibly for spiritual or therapeutic purposes.
Trepanation, derived from the Greek 'trypanon', was believed to cure ailments like epilepsy or demonic possession.
The process involved using tools made of flint, obsidian, or stone to expose the dura mater, often causing significant pain.
Ancient Greeks and Romans developed specialized tools for trepanation, influencing modern neurosurgery equipment.

Healing practices included immersing wounds in cool water and applying mud, natural remedies to soothe irritation.
Techniques involved sucking stings, licking wounds, and applying pressure to stop bleeding.

Diseases were often attributed to gods and spirits, with magic and religion influencing medical understanding well into the 19th century.

Hepatoscopy involved a detailed examination of the liver, playing a role in diagnosing ailments.
Illnesses were often viewed as a mark of sin or disfavor from the gods.

Health, illness, and death were associated with various deities, including a goddess of healing who protected women during childbirth.
Keket was a deity ensuring fertility.

Common ailments included intestinal diseases, malaria, trachoma, night blindness, cataracts, arteriosclerosis, and epidemic diseases.

Prominent deities included Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva, reflecting the integration of health and spirituality.

According to Nei Ching, five methods of treatment included curing the spirit, nourishing the body, medicating, treating holistically, and acupuncture/moxibustion.
Nei Ching, the oldest known medical book, blended philosophy, medicine, and religion, influencing Chinese medicine for over 2,000 years.
Modesty in ancient China led women to use figurines for symptom indication.

The Ruins of the Healing Temple of Asclepius included purification pools (Tholos) and incubation buildings (Abaton) for healing.
Greek philosophers like Pythagoras, Empedocles, and Democritus pursued harmony through objective study.
Hippocrates, known as the father of medicine, focused on observation, patient-centred care, honest evaluation, and supporting natural healing.

The healing message of Christ emphasized compassion, forgiveness, and concern for the marginalized.
St. Luke was recognized as a physician, symbolizing the blend of faith and medicine.

Bubonic plague, caused by fleas or contaminated materials, leads to swollen lymph nodes (buboes), fever, headache, chills, and weakness.

Paracelsus showcased a transition from traditional medicine to alchemical practices.
Jean Fernel established physiology, pathology, and therapeutics as foundational medical disciplines.
Ambroise Paré emerged as a forerunner in clinical surgery.
Andreas Vesalius earned recognition as the Father of Anatomy, advancing anatomical knowledge.