History 410 A Medicine History Society From Humoral

History 410 A: Medicine, History, & Society From Humoral Medicine to Islamic Medicine June 25, 2016 Laura Harkewicz, Ph. D. 1

Today’s agenda Questions about syllabus? Themes of Course Early history of disease Discussion of film Humoral medicine Islamic medicine 2

Themes of Course Ways of learning/making knowledge Technological contributions Affects of existing philosophies, paradigms, political/social/cultural conditions With an emphasis on people’s experience with disease/health/medicine 3

Early history of disease Disease = inescapable fact Early tool-users Epidemics arose with society and agriculture 4

“As humans colonized the globe, they were themselves colonized by pathogens. ” - Porter, 3 1492 - Columbus 1493 – First New World epidemic 1518 – Smallpox 1521 Cortés 1533 – Pizarro 1645 – smallpox in North America 5

Discussion of Film

The Plague Epidemic of 1347 51 Greatest disease outbreak in European history Social fabric torn to pieces Disease politics 7

Bubonic Plague Symptoms = Blinding headache Chills Excruciating joint pain Necrotic pustule (buboes) 8

Hippocratic/Humoral Medicine 9

Ancient Greek Medicine Sacred Healing Asclepius Caduceus Asclepius 10

Legacy of Asclepius Caduceus – modern symbol of medicine – 2 snakes intertwined on staff – shedding of snake’s skin = renewal of life Daughters – Hygeia (health or hygiene) and Panacea (cure-all) Physician’s Patron, “Temple sleep” & Asclepiadae 11

Hippocrates (c. 460 – 370 BC) – “Father of Medicine” Leading physician of his time Claimed he was the 18 th in descent from Asclepius Learned from the temple of Asclepius located on the island of Cos, his birthplace “Hippocratus Corpus” 12

In the treatise, Epidemics (part of the “Corpus”) the author wrote: “The physician must. . . have two special objects in view with regard to disease, namely, to do good or to do no harm. ” [the famous physician’s motto] He also said, “Life is short, science is long. ” 13

Hippocratic Medicine Hippocratic school - 4 th c. BC - naturalistic approach to health, sickness and healing. Believed in cause and effect Divided human nature into 3 functions – reason, spirit, & appetites – located in brain, heart & liver Sensual approach Diagnosis = creating profile of patient way of life Strength = focusing on patient, not disease 14

Humoral Medicine Humors – Blood, mucus, black bile and yellow bile. Sickness = imbalance Health and disease rationally explained by imbalance Holistic Cultural connection 15

Diagnosis & Treatment Diagnosis = questions and observation Tied to astrology Drugs - restore balance One disease could turn into another 16

Diagnosis & Treatment Classifications were emerging – diseases were grouped according to similar symptoms, e. g. fever Also from place of origin – e. g. head, or chest Preferred dietary regulation Patient’s entire lifestyle was under study One text from the “Hippocratic Corpus” suggested the physician investigate. . .

“The mode in which the inhabitants live, and what are their pursuits, whether they are fond of drinking and eating to excess, and given to indolence, or are fond of exercise and labor. ” 18

Humoral/Hippocratic Medicine Complemented Greek natural philosophy – especially in its rule of 4 4 directions 4 elements 4 primary qualities 4 humors 19

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Roman Era - Galen Born in 129 AD Father’s dream Open-minded Subject everything to the trial of experience 21

Galen’s Medicine Treated gladiators Thousands of animal dissections Recommended blood letting for many common ailments Directed Hippocratic humoral medicine toward theory Galen dissecting pig 22

Galen’s models Plato’s 3 -part soul - he located in bodily structures Rational soul in brain, energetic soul in heart, appetitive soul in liver Explained unknown in terms of function 23

Plato’s Macrocosm Linked to body For example, pneuma (air – the life breath of the cosmos) modified by 3 principal organs – brain, heart, and liver – distributed through body by nerves, arteries, and veins

Schematic Galen’s Physiology 25

Greek legacy Galen and Hippocrates between them dominated medical learning for centuries Disease as part of cosmic order Body regulated by constitution (humors), which could be understood by experience and reason 26

Hippocratic Airs Waters Places Humankind and climate mutually constituted Hippocratic physician took stock of the seasons, the waters, prevailing winds, physical geography, soil Evolved from idea that human constitution & health determined by climate to Interdependence between humans & climate 27

Questions for discussion What impact does climate have on humans? What impact does climate have on human health? 28

Legacy of Humoral Medicine Humoral theory is still in the language: Sanguine (blood, cheerful, resilient) Phlegmatic (mucus, impervious, calm) Choleric (yellow bile, angry) Melancholy (black bile, depressed)

Islamic Medicine 30

Islam and Medicine Rise of Islam between 7 th and 12 c. Cosmopolitan culture Friendly to experimental and empirical approach Produced hundreds of translations of Greek medical texts Synthesized and systematized Medical compendium 31

Islamic Medicine Training was through reading texts aloud and memorizing Mentor posed questions based on readings Skeptical approach to the findings of the Greeks 32

“He who studies the works of the Ancients, gains the experience of their labor as if he himself had lived thousands of years spent in investigation. ” Nevertheless, “all that is written in books is worth less than the experience of a wise doctor. ” 33

Ibn Sina Most famous Muslim physician was Persian philospher, Ibn Sina, known as Avicenna in the West – a taxcollector’s son “The Medical Code” “Galen of Islam” Ibn Sina 34

“The Medical Code” or Canon Five books Book I: general principles = theory of elements, humors, anatomy, physiology, etc. Book II: Materia medica = physical properties of simple drugs Book III: Specific diseases classified from head to toe Book IV: Disease affecting whole body Book V: Description of compound drugs 35

Islamic pharmacies Islamic practitioners created first pharmacies “Drug” and “alcohol” are Arab words Used plants, animals, and minerals from lands they conquered 36

Ibn al-Nafis Great empiricist Composed his Commentary of Avicenna at the age of 29 Text described the pulmonary circulation Refuted Galen’s idea of “invisible pores” 37

Islamic Hospitals (12 th and 13 th Centuries) Center of Islamic medical practice & education Inspired by Christian sick-relief services, but more elaborate Found in great cities like Baghdad, Damascus, Cairo True function was in bringing ideals of compassion and medicine together 38

Decline of Islamic Medicine From West 39

From East 40

Islamic Medicine’s Contribution to the History of Medicine. . . 41

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