Medicine and Its History - Lecture 7

Introduction in Medicine and History of Medicine - Lecture 7

• The lecture is about the history of technical knowledge and practice in medicine related to major diseases.
• The historical overview covers the development and practice on dealing with diseases, including treatment and monitoring methods.

Ancient Medicine

• Ancient medicine considered knowledge and contemplation, science, and philosophy as a synthesis.
• Hippocrates, a key figure, differentiated between technical and contemplative aspects of medical practice.
• "Techne" refers to the technical work, encompassing knowledge and its application.
• "Ars" describes the contemplative work, encompassing knowledge and contemplation of science and philosophy.
• The study details how doctors in the ancient era practiced and observed diseases.

Successful Physician

• Practice is essential for mastering surgical skills.
• Modern physicians require knowledge of medical rules, the ability to apply them, and strong philosophical thinking.
• This is akin to being a theoretical generalist with advanced thinking and an artistic approach.

Examination of a Patient

• Hippocrates' clinical approach is based on pre-defined procedures.
• It includes disease diagnosis, course, and prediction of outcomes along with patient treatments.
• Clinical assessment starts with a medical history (anamnesis) and continued by physical examination, considering the present condition, and judgment based on observations.
• "Facies hippocratica" is a term used to describe the appearance of an individual close to death.
• Taking medical history and current condition remain vital for assessment/evaluation.

Diagnostic Thinking Using Senses

• Hippocrates based medical diagnoses on observation through all five senses.
• Subsequent physicians improved this method.
• Skoda, a prominent figure in the mid-19th century, focused on observation, palpation, percussion and auscultation techniques which enhanced diagnosis. These methods contributed to diagnostic thinking in medicine.

Laboratory Diagnostics

• Scientific advancements in fields like microbiology, physics, and chemistry reduced the reliance on direct sensory observation.
• Laboratory examination allowed for further analysis outside the patient setting.
• A shift from sensory evaluation to laboratory examination reduced the use of clinical/direct observation by the physician.
• Relying on laboratory results created an expert but less effective thinker in clinical medicine.

Laboratory Results Do Not Give Ready-Made Diagnosis

• Laboratory results provide a deeper understanding of the condition but don't give a complete diagnosis by themselves.
• Expert analysis and judgment on the findings are needed before concluding findings or a diagnosis.
• Laboratory tests only complement physician work, they don't solely constitute a diagnosis.
• Diagnosis requires physician expertise, thoughtful analysis and critical thinking based on observations.

Patient's Psychological Condition Observation

• In the early eras of medicine, the 'soul' was the role of theology, while the body belonged to the medical profession.
• There is a connection between psychological and physical condition.
• The mind and body interact and affect each other, which is reflected in phrases like "Mens sana in corpore sano".
• Psychosomatic medicine, explores how psychological factors impact physical well-being.

General Look at Disease is Replaced by Narrow Specialist One

• Terms like constitution, predisposition, inclination, and heredity were initially widely used, but gradually decline in practical medicine.
• A move towards narrow specialization in medicine, focusing on body parts rather than the whole organism impacted general practice.
• There is a focus on narrow/specialized medical practices over broad general practice in the profession.

Constitution and Character Relation - Biological Condition

• German physician Zimssen highlighted the significance of considering a person's overall constitution when developing a therapy plan.
• He believed that neglecting individual characteristics of patients hindered the effectiveness of treatment.

Therapy

• Therapy has gone through periods of passive, preventative methods and active, highly drug, regimens.
• Hippocrates' approach is regarded as passive therapy rooted in life-style changes, sustenance, diet and prevention,
• Active poly-pharmaceutical therapies emerged later, featuring multiple medications and a fast approach to treating conditions. Therapies from this era were more commonly used for certain diseases.

Therapeutical Magna Sterilisans

• Advancements in microbiology led to discovering effective methods for treating infections.
• The focus was on introducing substances that attacked infections, while being careful not to harm the patient.

Micro-Therapy and Other Therapy

• Major developments in micro-therapeutics occurred during WWII, particularly in relation to penicillin.
• Important breakthroughs like penicillin development shifted the focus from other therapies toward micro-level treatments for more specific conditions.
• The discovery of insulin by Banting and Best also was a cornerstone of improved treatment for diseases.
• Advances in vitamins and other areas have also improved treatments substantially.

Neo-Hippocrates Medicine

• 'Neo-Hippocrates medicine' revitalizes ancient Greek healthcare principles within a modern context.
• Its basic concepts are derived from Hippocrates' original methods of healing.
• This approach uses principles of humoral theory and natural biological healing, complemented with modern scientific approaches.
• Therapeutic and related concepts from the era that reflect 'treating opposite conditions with opposite treatments' were also important aspects.

Aligning Old with New Scientific Legacy

• This approach combines ancient Greek therapeutic principles with modern scientific knowledge for better understanding and treatment of diseases.
• Newer scientific concepts are integrated into the traditional approach.
• Modern science is reflected within the principles of the ancient approach to healthcare.

Aligning Old with New Scientific Legacy

• Neo-Hippocrates medicine combines modern scientific understandings with ancient Greek principles.
• A complete, comprehensive approach to the human organism is emphasized based upon modern biological concepts and knowledge.

Modern Medicine - Science on Health

• The future of medicine will focus on preventive health rather than reacting to disease.
• Focus would be on healthy lifestyles and preventative measures.

Contradictions in Medicine Are Yet to Be Resolved

• Modern medicine recognizes contradictions in its methods and approaches.
• Conflicts in contemporary approaches to healthcare, still need to be clarified and resolved.

Explore the fascinating development of medicine through history in this lecture. Delve into the technical and contemplative aspects introduced by ancient physicians like Hippocrates, and understand how they shaped modern medical practices. This quiz will test your knowledge of the intersections between technical knowledge and the philosophy of medicine.