The History of Medicine

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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 ...

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...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.
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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.

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