The Evolution of Medicine

-By Tejdeep Singh Randhawa

-Student Id: 2015HHSM010
-Subject Id: HHSM ZG631

Long Before There Were Humans

Bony lipping at
interphalangeal
joints indicates
arthritis in a
prehistoric
animal

There Was Disease

Health Issues Of PREHISTORIC

MEN
Archeological evidence
reveals prehistoric man
suffered from:
Tuberculosis.
Parasite infestations.
Osteoporosis.
Decayed teeth.
eroded teeth from
pyorrhea (discharge
of pus from inflamed
gums).
Skeletal fractures.

Health Issues For PREHISTORIC

WOMAN
Archeological evidence
reveals prehistoric
women had much shorter
lifespan than men.
Most common reason for
early death was difficult
childbirth.
Also had weakened
immune systems due to;
birthing & nursing
children
best food was for men
& boys as they would
be leaders, hunters, &
warriors.

13,000 B.C.

PRIMITIVE MEDICINE

Primitive Medicine
Believed that illness and
disease were a
punishment from Gods
First physicians were
witch doctors who treated
illness with ceremonies.
Plants and herbs were
used as medicine. E..g
Foxglove for the
strengthening of Heart.
The fine art of trepanning
was 1st practiced by
ancient mankind
A hole was cut into the skull
to release demons.

3300 B.C.

INDIAN MEDICINE

Indian Medicine

The people of Indus Valley

Civilization from early Harappa
periods (3300 BC) had
knowledge of medicine and
dentistry.
The Atharvaveda, a text of
Hinduism dating from 10001200 BC is the first Indic text
of medicine.
Ayurveda & Siddha system of
medicine originated over 2000
years ago in India. Its two
famous texts belong to;
Charka (300 BC)
Sushruta (600 BC).
Theoretical conceptualizations,

Indian Medicine Contd

Detected diabetes by
smelling & tasting
urine (for sweetness)
Practiced surgical
procedures such as:

hernia repairs
amputations
C-sections
cosmetic surgery to
nose, earlobes, &
harelips

3000 B.C.

EGYPTIAN MEDICINE

Egyptian Medicine
First to keep accurate health
records. Wrote prescriptions on
papyrus and Physicians were
priests who used temples as a
place for worship, medical
school, and hospital.
Super-specialization
of
diseases.
The earliest known surgery
was
performed
in
Egypt
around 2750 BC.
Embalming
using
strong
antiseptics & bandages for
preserving bodies, led to
increased understanding of
anatomy and diseases.

1700 B.C.

CHINESE MEDICINE

Chinese Medicine
Traditional
Chinese
medicine is derived from
the
empirical
observations of disease
and illness by Taoist
physicians.
The foundational text of
Chinese medicine is the
Huangdi neijing, which is
composed of two books:
Suwen (Basic Questions)
Lingshu (Divine Pivot).

In 56 B.C., Zhang Liang

invented an instrument

Chinese Medicine Contd

Male doctors didnt
directly examine women
but used ivory dolls, and
affected women would
use doll and point to the
problem area.
Used acupuncture to
treat ailments.
Recorded a
pharmacopoeia of
medications based on
herbs. E.g. Ginseng for
balancing the chi.

1600 B.C.

MESOPOTAMIAN
MEDICINE

Mesopotamian Medicine
Diseases were often blamed on preexisting spirits: gods, ghosts, sins,
etc.
Developed the concept of diviner
(Baru), physician-surgeon (Ashipu)
and pharmacist (Asu), who noted
medical treatise on tablets.
Baru, developed the concept of
modern day diagnosis & prognosis.
Discovered the concepts of wound
washing with hot water & beer and
treatment of various infections.
Also, were the first ones to come up
with mud plasters.
The Hammurabi code of law is the

Fun Fact!
The staff with intertwining serpents, the symbol of the
medical profession in the modern day, is associated
with Hippocrates and the Greeks when, in actuality, like
medical practice itself, it originated in Mesopotamia.

Mesopotami

Gree

Moder

1200 B.C.

GREEK MEDICINE

Greek Medicine
First to study the cause of disease
and look for natural explanations
and not just divine ones.
Discovered that diet and cleanliness
could prevent disease
Hippocrates, most famous of all
ancient Greek physicians, who
based knowledge of anatomy on
observation of external body, and
also wrote the Hippocratic Oath.
became known as the Father of
Modern Medicine
Emphasized the idea of balance in
all things through four humors of
human body, namely;
- yellow bile - black bile - blood

1200 B.C.

ROMAN MEDICINE

Roman Medicine
They established the first
public health and sanitation
systems by building sewers
and aqueducts.
Built
public
baths
with
filtering systems.
Rooms in doctors houses
where they cared for
soldiers became the first
hospitals.
Galen (130 205 B.C.)
influenced the development
of
various
scientific
disciplines,
including
anatomy,
physiology,
pathology,
pharmacology,
neurology,
as
well
as
philosophy and logic.

After the fall of Roman Empire, Europe descended into a

period of superstition and medical confusion
Study of medicine was prohibited by the leaders of the
faith and Priests treated Patients with PrayersA kind
of PPP Model.
Bubonic Plague had killed 75% of the population in
Europe and Asiaactually it was the middle agesbut
these were dark times nonetheless.
Between Medicines Glorious Past and Revolutionary Future were

THE DARK AGES (A.D. 400

800)

From Sanitary Awakening to Germ Theory

A.D. 1500 - 1900

SCIENTIFIC AWAKENING

Scientific Awakening
Dissection of corpses by
Leonardo da Vinci led to
an
increased
understanding of human
anatomy and physiology.
First anatomy book by
Andreas
Vesalius,
was
published.
Invention
of
the
microscope by Anton van
Leeuwenhoek
allowed
doctors to see diseasecausing organisms.
Development
of
first

Scientific Awakening
The Great Sanitary Awakening took
place during the Cholera Pandemic
which commenced in Bengal
(1819) and reached New York City
(1832) .
Hence, Cholera is also known as
Father of Public Health.
Edwin Chadwick submits a report
which leads to the formulation of
the first Public Health Act 1848 in
England.
Through Scientific epidemiological
study
John
Snow
discovered
contaminated
water
as
the
transmission source of Cholera.
Subsequent Public Health Acts and

Scientific Awakening

Most of the diseases were

thought to spread on the basis
of
two
widely
accepted
Theories of;
Miasma Theory.
Spontaneous
Generation
Theory
It was Louis Pasteur in 1877
who proved by growing the
anthrax bacillus derived from
infected sheep blood onto a
culture plate, and injecting a
healthy sheep with the same
culture, about the relationship
between germs and diseases,
which led to the acceptance of
Germ Theory

A.D. 1900 - Present

MODERN MEDICINE

Preventiv
e
Medicine

Biggest
Triumph
Development
of Vaccines

Development
of Nutrition
Strategies

Development
of Diagnostic
Screenings

Social
Medicine

Neumann &
Virchow
developed
the concept

Concept
combines
medicine &
sociology

Studies the
effect of
diseases on
society

Public
Health
Phases

Health
Promotion

Social
Engineering

Health For All

Family
Medicine

Family the
focal point of
healthcare

From
Prevention to
Rehablitation

Delivery of
Primary Care

Communi
ty
Medicine

Shares
common
ground with
public &
family

Prevention of
disease and
health
promotion

Every country
has its own
definition

To Summarize