What is prehistoric medicine?

Prehistoric medicine refers to medicine before humans are to read and write. It
covers a vast period
People in prehistoric times would have believed in a combination of natural and
supernatural causes and treatments for conditions and diseases. The practice of
comparing a placebo effect with a given therapy did not exist. There may have
been some trial and error to come up with some effective treatments, but they
would not have taken into account several variables of scientists today, such as
coincidence, lifestyle, family history and placebo effect.
The settlers described the Aborigines in Australia as capable of sewing wounds,
and they enclosed broken bones in the mud to straighten them.
What Is Ancient Egyptian Medicine?
Ancient Egypt (3300BC to 525BC) is where we first see the dawn of what, today,
we call "medical care". The Egyptian civilization was the first great civilization on
this planet. Egyptians thought gods, demons and spirits played a key role in
causing diseases. Many doctors at the time believed that spirits blocked channels
in the body, and affected the way the body functioned.
Their research involved trying to find ways to unblock the "Channels". Gradually,
through a process of trial and error and some basic science, the profession of a
"doctor of medicine" emerged. Ancient Egyptian doctors used a combination of
natural remedies, combined with prayer.
Unlike prehistoric peoples, ancient Egyptians were able to document their
research and knowledge, they could read and write; They have a system of
mathematics which helped scientists make calculations. Documented ancient
Egyptian medical literature is among the oldest in existence today.
They had temples, priests and rituals in which deceased people were mummified.
In order to mummify you have to learn something about how the human body
works. In one mummification process, the long hooked implement was inserted
through the nostril, breaking the thin bone of the brain case, allowing the brain to
be removed. A significant number of priests became medical doctors.
Ancient Egyptian doctors knew that the body had a pulse, and that was associated
with the function of the heart. They had a very basic knowledge of a cardiac
system, but they overlooked the phenomenon of blood circulating around the
body - either because they missed it, or thought it did not matter, they were
unable to distinguish blood vessels, nerves, or tendons.
What Is Ancient Greek Medicine?
As the Egyptian civilization faded, the Greek one emerged around 700 BC. The
Greek civilization prevailed until "the end of antiquity" around 600 AD. The Greeks
were great philosophers and their physicians lent more towards rational thinking
when dealing with medicine, compared to the Egyptians. Ancient Greek medicine
is probably the basis of modern scientific medicine.
Followers of Pythagoras, Pythagoreans, believed that numbers had precise
meanings, especially the numbers 4 and 7. They mentioned that the Bible refers to
infinity as 70x7, and that 7x4 is the duration of the lunar month as well as the
menstrual cycle (28 days), 7x40 is 280 which is how long a pregnancy is when it
reaches full term. They also believed that a baby would enjoy better health if
he/she was born on the seventh month rather than the 8th.
What Is Ancient Roman Medicine?
Ancient Rome was a flourishing civilization that started around 800 BC and existed
for approximately 1200 years. It started off in Rome, and grew into one of the
largest and most powerful empires in ancient history. It was ruled initially by
monarchs, then became an aristocratic republic, and shifted towards being a
progressively more repressive empire. The empire spread to Southern, Western
and parts of Eastern Europe, Asia Minor and North Africa. In many ways, the
Roman and Greek empires shared a number values and systems.

As far as health was concerned, the Romans were more interested in prevention
than cure. Public health facilities were encouraged throughout the empire. Roman
medicine grew out of what military doctors learnt and demanded.
Initially, the Romans resisted the practices and theories that came from Greece.
Roman medicine did not go backwards after Greece, it took a slightly different
direction. Eventually, Roman scientists and doctors, many of them from Greece,
continued researching Greek theories of diseases and physical and mental
disorders
Surgical procedures were performed using opium and scopolamine as painkillers,
and acid vinegar (acetum) to clean up wounds. They did not have what we would
consider as effective anesthetics for complicated surgical procedures; it is doubtful
they carried out surgical operations deep inside the body.
Unlike the Greeks who would place their patients in temples in the hope that the
gods might help cure them, the Romans had purpose-built hospitals where
patients could rest and have a much better chance of recovering. In hospital
settings, doctors were able to obs
What is medieval Islamic medicine?
Medicine was an important part of medieval Islamic life; Both the rich and the
poor were interested in health and disease. Islamic doctors and several scholars
wrote profusely on health and developed extensive and complex medical
literature on medicines, clinical practice, diseases, cures, treatments and
diagnoses. Unlike the medical literature of today, which is specialized, in the
medieval Islamic world was integrated with natural science, astrology, alchemy,
religion, philosophy and mathematics.erve sick patients, instead of depending on
supernatural forces to perform miracles.
What is European Medieval & Renaissance Medicine?
The Medieval Period, commonly known as The Middle Ages spanned 1,000 years,
from the 5th to the 15th century (476 AD to 1453 AD). It is the period in European
history which started at the end of Classical Antiquity (Ancient History), about the
time of the fall of the Western Roman Empire, until the birth of the Renaissance
period and the Age of Discovery.
When the Mongols destroyed Baghdad, fleeing scholars managed to take
documents and books with them to the west. Medical stagnation in the Middle
Ages in Europe Much medical knowledge from the Roman and Greek civilizations
was lost, consequently the quality of medical practitioners was poor. The Catholic
Church did not allow corpses to be dissected; people were encouraged to pray and
fear the consequences of not doing as they were told, or thinking differently from
Church teachings. It was not an environment conducive to creativity.
Friction developed between the Church and medical practitioners who used
incantations as well as Greek, Roman and Islamic methods. Throughout the great
civilizations that had preceded the Middle Ages, spells and incantations had
persisted, and were used together with herbal and other remedies. The Church
insisted that these magical rituals be replaced with Christian prayers and
devotions.
What Is Modern Medicine?
Economic activity grew rapidly during the 18th Century in Western Europe and the
Americas. It was the beginning of the Industrial Revolution. During the 19th
century economic and industrial growth gathered pace; it was also a period of
scientific discovery and invention.

Old ideas of infectious disease epidemiology (incidence, distribution, and control

of diseases) made way to virology and bacteriology. Microbiology made advances,
a science that started with Antonie Philips van Leeuwenhoek (1632 - 1723), who
first observed microorganisms with a microscope.
Abstract
Modern medicine has done much in the fields of infectious diseases and
emergencies to aid cure. In most other fields, it is mostly control that it aims for,
which is another name for palliation. Pharmacology, psychopharmacology
included, is mostly directed towards such control and palliation too. The thrust,
both of clinicians and research, must now turn decisively towards prevention and
cure. Also, longevity with well-being is modern medicines other big challenge.
Advances in vaccines for hypertension, diabetes, cancers etc, deserve attention; as
also, the role of meditation, yoga, spirituality etc in preventing disease at various
levels. Studies on longevity, life style changes and healthy centenarians deserve
special scrutiny to find what aids longevity with wellbeing.