Medicine and useful healing products have been around since before 0 BCE, but how effective has it been? Before 0BCE, many medical procedures we still use today have started. The first known surgery was performed around 2750 BCE. The Edwin Smith Papyrus was medical text in Ancient Egypt that had information containing the oldest known surgical treatise on trauma. The Edwin Smith Papyrus is regarded as a copy of several earlier works and was written in 1600BCE. Other Papyrus’s were written such as the Kahun Gynaecological Papyrus. The Kahun Gynaecological Papyrus was known to treat women’s complains. The Kahun Gynaecological Papyrus had thirty four cases detailing diagnosis and treatment. It is the oldest surviving medical text which was written in 1800 BCE.
The earliest known physician was Hesy-Ra. Hesy-Ra was titled Chief of Dentists and Physicians for King Djoser in the 27th century BCE. The earliest known woman physician was Peseshet. Peseshet was titled “Lady Overseer of the Lady Physicians.” Peseshet was also a professer, she trained midwives at an Ancient Egyptian medical school. Both Peseshet and Hesy-Ra practiced their studies in Ancient Egypt. The oldest Babylonian texts date back to the 2nd millennium BCE. However, the most extensive text made by the Babylonians was the Diagnostic Handbook, written by Esagil-kin-apli of Borsippa in 1069-1046 BCE. The Diagnostic Handbook introduced the methods of therapy and etiology. Diseases and other infectious diseases were treated with herbs, creams, and bandages. The book was known for diagnosis and prognosis. It is said to verify which disease or infection someone has, including symptoms and logical rules to determine what infectious disease someone has. Most people see this time ...
... middle of paper ...
...800 and now. People have invented microscopes and other useful items to advance in medical help. Surgery was first found before BCE and now it is used everywhere in the world. Surgery not only helps broken or ruptured things, but only saves lives!
Works Cited
Wikipedia. "History of Medicine." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Nov. 2013. Web. 10 Nov.
2013.
Wikipedia. "History of Surgery." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 11 Jan. 2013. Web. 11 Nov. 2013.
National Academy of Sciences. "The History of Medicine." NCBI. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 2006. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.
Gallagher, Patricia E. "History of the Health Sciences Web Resources." History of the Health Sciences Web Resources. History of the Health Sciences Section of MLA, n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.
"History of Medicine 1919 to 1939." History of Medicine 1919 to 1939. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Nov. 2013.
The contributions of several doctors, researchers, and scientists helped improve the health of the growing population. In 1850 the average life expectancy was 42 years. By 1910 the average life expectancy had risen to nearly 55 years. Between 1850 and 1910 there were several advances in the medical field. The introduction of genes, white blood cells, blood groups, insulin, rubber gloves, aspirin, and vitamins and the discoveries of Pasteur, Charcot, Halsted, Zirm, Lister, and Koch were the starting point of an international fight against disease.
He was one of the first doctors to observe his patients, and believed humans should lead simple and stable lives to keep them healthy and their humours balanced. Dissection was still looked down upon, and even forbidden, in these times, and therefore this held back medical studies from progressing further. People trained under these beliefs were recognised as doctors instead of priests. This was a huge development in medical history as beliefs in supernatural causes began to die out, and women who were not slaves were also allowed to train as do...
Nuland, Sherwin B, M.D., F.A.C.S. The Origins of Anesthesia. Birmingham, Alabama: The Classics of Medicine Library, 1983.
...nderstanding of human anatomy. The Kahun Gynaecological papyrus was the first to acknowledge the female anatomy almost solely. Ancients were able to detect pregnancy, as well as how to prevent pregnancy. The Kahun papyrus also included a short section on veterinary medicine which shows their level of understanding of animals anatomy as well. The Hearst papyrus is composed of several general medical problems and how to treat them. Finally, the Berlin papyrus is made up of several sections including : general treatments and diagnoses, gynaecological prescriptions, and a large portion dedicated to spells and magic. Overall, as shown by the five papyri the Ancient Egyptians had an extremely civilized manner of diagnosing and treating common aliments of their time. Their incredible knowledge not only human but animal anatomy allowed them to successfully treat patients.
"Science Museum. Brought to Life: Exploring the History of Medicine." Surgery. N.p., n.d. Web. 07 Mar. 2014.
One of the fastest growing fields in America is that of the physician assistant profession. Physician assistants are medical professionals who provide diagnostic and preventative health care services under the supervision of doctors. Forbes magazine recently listed physician assistants as the fourth fastest growing profession in the United States. Although the profession is currently getting a wealth of attention, the idea of physician assistants has been around for centuries. More recently due to the shortage of physicians, there has been an increased need for physician assistants. We find it important to explore and understand the history of the profession and how it has evolved in order to understand the future direction of the profession.
Scarborough, John, Van Der Eijk, Philip J., Hanson, Ann, and Siraisi, Nancy. Studies in Ancient Medicine: Hippocrates on Ancient Medicine. Translated by Mark J. Schiefsky. Boston: Brill, 2005.
There is no doubt that these events have improved and advanced the science of medicine as a whole and that lives have been improved and saved through the availability of healthcare within the system that has been created. The introduction and availability of antibiotics alone has restored to good health countless individuals who in the century before would have certainly died from bacterial infection.
World War One, in its own time, was the most destructive war Earth itself had ever seen, and this was due to the new technology. “There are two groups of people in warfare – those organized to inflict and those organized to repair wounds – and there is little doubt but that in all wars, and in this one in particular, the former have been better prepared for their jobs.” There were many advancements, disadvantages, and foundations involving medicine in World War I. The assassination of Franz Ferdinand on June 28, 1914 started the war, and things spiraled out of control from there. With there being so many existing alliances with countries all over, almost all of Europe became involved. Eventually two sides emerged which were the Central Powers and the Allies. America had tried to stay out of the war, but when Russia backed out in 1917 America slipped in.
Thatcher, V.S. (1953) History of Anesthesia, With Emphasis on the Nurse Specialist. Philadelphia: J.B. Lippincott Company.
Kleinman, Arthur M. “What Kind of Model for the Anthropology of Medical Systems?” American Anthropologist, New Series, Vol. 80, No. 3 (Sep, 1978), pp. 661-665.
Early Greek medicine was more of a divine matter. It was believed that the God Asclepius was the god of medicine. Priests would live at his temples and claimed they knew the ways of healing people. It was not until around 500 B.C., a Greek physician named Alcmaeon began to dissect animals to observe their skeleton, muscles, and brain. This was most probably the first ever to describe a phenomenon through objective observations. Through his observations, he believed that illness was due to an imbalance in the body. This idea prevailed for many centuries in the history of medicine.
The most important and influential discovery was the practice of surgery. With this invention, human life became more sophisticated, humans lived longer, and we obtained a knowledge of ourselves sufficient enough to break the boundaries built by ignorance. Lacking prescription drugs, accurate tools, computer technology, and any background experience to build from, our ancestors struggled to learn how to repair the human body. They did an suprisingly competent job of treating the sick and injured. Some of the medical technology developed in ancient times surpassed anything available in the modern world until the 18th century or 19th century. In eras wherein religious views took precedence over medicine and logic, surgical advancement was difficult. The knowledge we have now was obtained from these people's exploits.
Freeman, David H. "The Triumph of New-Age Medicine." The Atlantic. 2011. Web. 27 Feb. 2012. .
Paracelsus (1493-1541). (2008). Brought to Life: Exploring the History of Medicine. Retrieved from Science Museum Online http://www.sciencemuseum.org.uk/broughttolife/people/paracelsus.aspx