Medical Machines Essay

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The invention of machines occurred in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in the 3rd century BCE and had a profound effect on the practice of medicine “Berrey Alexandrian Physiology.” The invention of machines, such as valves, pumps, levers, and wedges influenced the way in which ancient physicians described and understood the body, in addition to providing new methods for treating conditions. Machines provided a means to treat previously untreatable conditions, served as a form of entertainment, and contributed to a separation of power between medical practitioners.
One condition that was treated by means of a machine was the reduction of dislocated joints. Depending on the particular joint, joints can require a great deal of force to reset. …show more content…

Ancient illustrations depict the role of assistants in using machines, such as assistants treating patients with dislocations on Hippocratic benches “Apollonius of Citium p.8.” Ancient physicians often had assistants that were slaves or paid laborers who worked underneath the direction of the physician and performed some of the work of the physician. In the case of a femur dislocation, the assistant did not have the authority to diagnose the patient with the dislocation, but was able to use the Hippocratic bench once the physician had made the diagnosis. These ancient assistants are analogous to the technicians found in the Western biomedicine of today. In today’s medicine, technicians are the medical professionals that run the machines and provide information to the physician who is the one with the power to diagnose the patient. Although the assistants and technicians are the ones performing the work of running the machines, they have a more limited role in the patient’s care, as the physician is the one who interprets the results and comes up with the plan of treatment for the patient “Mol The Body Multiple p.58.” This separation of power can be seen today when a person goes to the doctor to get blood drawn, for example. The blood sample is processed by a lab technician running a machine and the results are given to a doctor to interpret. The patient rarely encounters the technician that does the blood testing, but has the results explained to them by the

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