The History of Health Care Early Medicine Notes

The History of Health Care Early Medicine - Notes

Experiences of Our Past… Advances Our Future • Why study the past practices? • More appreciative of the advances that have been made • Help understand current procedures, practices, and philosophies • Trial and error

Early Beginnings • What was life like? • No electricity • Few tools • Poor shelter • Avoid predators, find food • Illness and injury was caused by supernatural spirits • Tribal doctors performed ceremonies to exorcise evil spirits

Medical Techniques • Trephining • Part of cranium is removed with primitive tool • Demons released • Herbs and Plants • Digitalis – today = heart condition • Quinine – today = prevents malaria • Belladonna – today = relieve muscle spasm (GI pain) • Morphine – today = pain medication

Ancient Times • Egyptians • Kept records • Priests were physicians • Used medicines • Splinted fractures • Used bloodletting (leeches) to treat disease • Chinese • Use acupuncture

Ancient Times (Continued…) • Greeks • Physicians were on a sacred mission • Housed in sacred temples of healing • Studied cause of disease (natural not spiritual) • Kept records • Performed research • Massage and herbs

Ancient Times (Continued) • Religion forbid bodies to be dissected • Hippocrates (4 th century BC) based knowledge on observation • Kept records of symptoms and caused of disease • Romans • Medical care and equipment for treating soldiers • First hospitals • Sanitation system

Dark and Middle Ages (400 -1400 A. D. ) • Huns conquered Romans • Medical studies stopped (1000 years) • Church believed life and death was in God’s hands • Prayer treatment • Epidemics led to millions of deaths • Bubonic Plague • Small Pox • Syphilis • Tuberculosis

Renaissance (1305 – 1650) • Rebirth of learning • Universities & medical schools • Acceptance of dissection • Publishing information • More research