Prehistoric and Primitive Medicine

Prehistoric and Primitive Medicine
Archaeologists and anthropologists who study prehistoric man and primitive tribes tell us human societies have always had special individuals, both men and women, who took the job of healer and were responsible for preventing illness and curing the sick and injured. These shaman almost always held multiple roles as healers, magicians, rulers, or priests.

Primitive medicine men learned how to splint, but probably not set, bone fractures. They also frequently performed a type of brain surgery that we today call trephination. Trephination was done by using stone instruments to bore or grind holes in the skull. Researchers do not know if the procedure was done to relieve demon spirits, treat skull fractures, or remove bone splinters. It is possible that trephination was done at different times for all of these reasons.

In addition to magic, spells, prayers, and charms, shaman and healers often used signature, or symbolic, items to treat their patients. These signature treatments included things like drinking the blood of a warrior to increase strength or eating leaves shaped like body organs to cure a disease. Sometimes, through chance, these signatures worked. When they did, the medicine men, or shamans, would pass the information to the next generation of priests. Digitalis, morphine, quinine, and ephedrine are all modern medicines that have been passed down to us from prehistoric signature practice.

egyptian medicine history

Egyptian Medicine
Western medical tradition can be traced back directly to the practitioners of ancient Egypt. The most famous of the Egyptian physicians was Imhotep, who lived about 2800 BC. Imhotep is also famous as the architect of the great Step Pyramid of Saqqarah. Egyptian priest-physicians specialized in treating different parts of the body, because they believed different parts of the body were governed by different gods. They used special religious incantations to treat patents for specific ailments.

Egyptologists have found two large medical documents, written on papyrus, that tell much about medical practice.
Just as with prehistoric civilization, healing and religion went hand-in-hand, but Egyptian priest-physicians kept careful case histories. They developed surgical techniques that are still used today including using direct compression to stop bleeding. Most interesting, the Egyptian texts record methods of training and practice that closely resemble modern medicine. These documents define a variety of diseases and conditions, identify their symptoms, explain what other healers should look for during examinations, suggest specific therapies, and describe how to develop a prognosis.

The priest-physicians were assisted by other lay physicians and magicians who specialized in bandaging and public health. There was an official "Lady Director of Lady Physicians" who supervised the work of the female practitioners who specialized in minor surgery and bloodletting as well as obstetrics and gynecology.

Egyptian pharmacists used almost 700 different drugs and an assortment of mortars, mills, sieves, and balances to prepare over 800 standardized prescriptions that were dispensed to patients as pills, ointments, inhalants, and gargles. Some historians think that the modern day Rx pharmacy symbol has its origin in the Egyptian Eye of Horus.

arabic Medicine history

Arabic Medicine

From the fall of Rome until the European Renaissance of the 15th century, the Islamic world was the center of medical knowledge. Greek medical texts were translated into Arabic and augmented with sophisticated pharmaceutical information.

Many herbs and spices like nutmeg, cloves, and mace were not originally valued as cooking ingredients, but as medicines, and many arabic medicinal terms--drug, syrup, alcohol, alkali, etc.--remain in western languages.

The Arabs improved many Greek and Roman medical, especially ocular, techniques. Additionally, they developed first-class civilian hospitals and used them not only to care for the blind, crippled, and chronically ill, but to also train medical personnel. Usually, these facilities included medical and surgical wards, a surgical room, a pharmacy, a clinic, a library, a lecture room, a chapel, and a mosque. Some hospitals employed musicians and singers to comfort the patients with a type of musical therapy.

After several malpractice scandals in the 10th century, doctors were required to pass formal tests before being allowed to practice on their own. Similar tests for pharmacists were established as well.