History of Medicine: Part 1: Hippocrates
Ancient peoples struggled to make sense of sickness and death. Much of it was understood as the will of their gods or the work of demons. Prayers and offerings to the gods were often the only treatments. Plagues were a punishment from God, curses by witches or caused by the alignment of the stars.
Eventually, early tribal people looked around themselves and found natural treatments. The Incas chewed on cocaine leaves. Asians extracted Opium from poppies. People mashed aloe for burns.
During Roman and Greek times, people knew the effects of various substances. The hemlock plant was used to kill Socrates. Rhino horns were ground up and used as medicine. This still happens today in rural areas where access, knowledge or trust of modern medicine is lacking. Some animals are endangered today because of over hunting for medicinal purposes. Such as pangolins and walrus in traditional Chinese medicine.
Theories of heath were proposed. People believed all illnesses was a result of an imbalance of fluids. Bodies were a balance of the elements, earth, Wind, Fire and Water. These could be corrected by letting some blood out by either cutting and draining, known as blood letting or by using Leeches to suck out the blood.
https://youtu.be/lUG_zwMdkIc
Hippocrates
Hippocrates of ancient greece was one of the first people to treat illnesses through observations. He was born in the island of Kos and taught by Democritus, the person who theorized the exsistence of atoms. Instead of trusting the old ways of prayer, sacrifice and superstitions: Hippocrates observed the effects of different treatments and their results. Hippocrates saved many people from a plague epidemic and for that was highly honored by the Athenians.
He made a lot of important observations we take for granted today.
"...little exercise...and walk...do not eat in excess. Those by nature overweight, die earlier than the slim." Everything in excess is opposed to nature."
He understood that humans have immune defense, saying "Natural forces within us are the true healers."
He also broke away from much of the superstitions of the time, saying:
"People think that epilepsy is divine simply because they don't have any idea what causes epilepsy. But I believe that someday we will understand what causes epilepsy, and at that moment, we will cease to believe that it's divine. And so it is with everything in the universe."
He's still remembered today and influences medical professionals today. He had a mantra of...
Hippocratic Oath: Classical Version
I swear by Apollo the Physician and Asclepius and Hygieia and Panaceia and all the gods and goddesses, making them my witnesses, that I will fulfill according to my ability and judgment this oath and this covenant:
I will apply dietetic measures for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and judgment; I will keep them from harm and injustice.
I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody who asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art.
I will not use the knife, not even on sufferers from stone, but will withdraw in favor of such men as are engaged in this work.
Whatever houses I may visit, I will come for the benefit of the sick, remaining free of all intentional injustice, of all mischief and in particular of sexual relations with both female and male persons, be they free or slaves.
What I may see or hear in the course of the treatment or even outside of the treatment in regard to the life of men, which on no account one must spread abroad, I will keep to myself, holding such things shameful to be spoken about.
If I fulfill this oath and do not violate it, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and art, being honored with fame among all men for all time to come; if I transgress it and swear falsely, may the opposite of all this be my lot.
Hippocratic Oath: Modern Version
I swear to fulfill, to the best of my ability and judgment, this covenant:
I will respect the hard-won scientific gains of those physicians in whose steps I walk, and gladly share such knowledge as is mine with those who are to follow.
I will apply, for the benefit of the sick, all measures [that] are required, avoiding those twin traps of overtreatment and therapeutic nihilism.
I will remember that there is art to medicine as well as science, and that warmth, sympathy, and understanding may outweigh the surgeon's knife or the chemist's drug.
I will not be ashamed to say "I know not," nor will I fail to call in my colleagues when the skills of another are needed for a patient's recovery.
I will respect the privacy of my patients, for their problems are not disclosed to me that the world may know. Most especially must I tread with care in matters of life and death. If it is given me to save a life, all thanks. But it may also be within my power to take a life; this awesome responsibility must be faced with great humbleness and awareness of my own frailty. Above all, I must not play at God.
I will remember that I do not treat a fever chart, a cancerous growth, but a sick human being, whose illness may affect the person's family and economic stability. My responsibility includes these related problems, if I am to care adequately for the sick.
I will prevent disease whenever I can, for prevention is preferable to cure.
I will remember that I remain a member of society, with special obligations to all my fellow human beings, those sound of mind and body as well as the infirm.
If I do not violate this oath, may I enjoy life and art, respected while I live and remembered with affection thereafter. May I always act so as to preserve the finest traditions of my calling and may I long experience the joy of healing those who seek my help.
https://youtu.be/xf2B6hF8yQE
Science as a candle in the dark - middle paragraph of p8
Hippocrates revolutionized medicine, making it more scientific by observing the successrate of differenttreatments. However, he was still a product of his time and made many mistakes. He is credited with saying, "a physician without knowledge of astrology has no right to call himself a physician." This belief lasted for 2,000 years and only fell out of mainstream science during the enlightenment. Hippocrates also spoke against surgery. However, this was at a time before painkillers and germ theory.
Why do you think the Hippocratic Oath was important then and is now?
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