Prehistoric Times

From the time that humans first began to inhabit the earth, health and disease has been a part of life. As
the earth's population continued to grow and expand 1ts geographical reach, many diseases began to
occur. The notion of "survival of the fittest" can be extended to assume that early humans acquired over
time an understanding of the relationship between the environment and health. It is reasonable to think
the prehistoric people were aware of their environment and took precautions. In addition to avoiding
natural predators, prehistoric people were careful about the foods they ate and water they drank. Foods
and water sources that made them sick or die were no longer consumed. As this knowledge was passed
along to others in the population, the seeds of epidemiology were planted. As humans continued to
inhabit the earth and as the population increased and spread out geographically, this knowledge became
more and more important. For example, passing on information about obtaining and using animal hides
and furs as protective clothing helped to increase survival in a predatory world.

Greeks

Basic epidemiological methods were mentioned in the Bible. In the book of Numbers, Moses conducted
the first recorded census. However, the Greeks continued the development of epidemiology into a
scientific discipline. Hippocrates, who lived from 460 to 377 BC, wrote the classic work "On Airs, waters,
and Places" as an explanation of why epidemics and plagues happened. Hippocrates presented evidence
suggesting that environmental and behavioral factors could be associated with disease. His work began
what is referred to today as environmental epidemiology. Hippocrates provided accurate descriptions of
the diseases tetanus, typhus, and phthisis.' For his work, which is the first time scientific methods were
used to study disease, Hippocrates is considered the father of epidemiology and the world's first
epidemiologist.

Egyptians

The ancient Egyptians are known for their medical advances, including surgeries to treat illness. They did
not have an organized public health system, but they did discover and practice several public health
interventions. First, Egyptians had a full understanding of cleanliness and its effect on health. They used
baths and toilets. For religious reasons, personal cleanliness and physical appearance were important.

Egyptians practiced disease prevention. Egyptian men and women wore eye makeup because they
believed that this would protect their eyes from diseases. They used mosquito nets at night to protect
themselves from diseases transmitted by insects. It was common for Egyptians to use amulets, charms,
and spells to protect themselves and others from diseases. Diet and nutrition were recognized as having
a relationship with health. An ancient Egyptian's diet was typically balanced, with cereals, fruit, and fish
as major food choices. Milk, milk products, seeds, and oil were not major foods in their diets.

History tells us the Egyptian priests served as religious leaders and healers. They frequently cast spells to
prevent disease, treated people and animals, and may have had knowledge about links between
diseased animals and diseased people. It is thought that Egyptian priests may have had the ability to
prevent epidemics by inspecting animals that were used for religious sacrifices. Diseases that originate
with animals and are spread to humans are called zoonoses, or zoonotic diseases. Today's examples of
zoonotic diseases include West Nile virus, severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), mad cow disease,
and bird flu and swine flu.

Romans

Medicine and public health in ancient Rome were greatly influenced by the Greeks, especially after
Greece became a Roman province. The Romans placed a great deal of importance on public health
because they believed that cleanliness