Herophilos, the Father of Modern Science: A Brief Biography
In Ancient Greece 335 B.C.E. a child was born in Chalcedon. This child would one day become one of the most influential parts of modern science and medicine as we know it. The baby boy’s name was Herophilos. Not much is known about Herophilos except that he moved away from Chalcedon (now Turkey) and moved to Alexandria early in his life (1). When Herophilos finished his education he became a teacher and an author (1). There are nine known texts he is responsible for, including his book “On Pulses”, which explains blood flow from the heart to arteries (1). He also wrote a book that educates readers about phases of childbirth, called “Midwifery” (1).
Herophilos was a pioneer of many different medical branches. Herophilos’ achievements included a detailed description of the brain, which allowed him to prove that the brain was the engine of human intellect (134). Herophilos got his start with autopsies but not before studying under Praxagoras (1 ). In many parts of the world, it was illegal for anyone to dissect a body. Herophilos stayed in Alexandria because it was legal for him to practice dissections. Herophilos began to get very comfortable with practicing these dissections, that he would do them in public and explain what he was doing (1) . It is believed that Herophilos founded a medical school in Alexandria and that he took on an apprentice, Erasistratus (1). Herophilos did, however, encounter some problems with his practice of medical sciences. Herophilos allegedly practiced vivisections on live criminals (1) . He used this practice to examine the way body organs worked while the person was alive, all done with no anesthetics (1). Herophilos u...
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... middle of paper ... ... We can trace the origins of modern scientific trends back to Greek primal establishment. From the simplistic Socratic approach of ‘Who am I?’
Hippocrates (c. 460-377 BC) was born on the Aegean island of Cos, Greece. He learned his medical practices from his father, Heracleides, and Ancient Greek physician Herodicos of Selymbria. Like many big Greek names of the time, Hippocrates was thought to have come from the Gods. He was considered a descendent of Asclepios, the God of Medicine. Two major creations of Hippocrates have upheld the biggest influence on medical history. The peak of his career was during the Peloponnesian War (431-404 B.C), where his healing tactics helped Athenian warriors (“Hippocrates”, 1998).
Furthermore, Aristotle and Galen’s theories contributed to the Renaissance revival of heart anatomy. This reawakening made it possible for physicians to indicate the basic arrangement of the heart. It became commonly accepted that the heart was divided into four parts: two ventricles (lower chambers that pump blood out) and two auricles (upper chamber that r...
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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.
Andreas Vesalius was well known for his dissections in the 1500’s. Growing up in Brussels he was captivated by the anatomy of animals. Throughout his childhood Andreas dissected many small animals trying to uncover life’s mystery. This curiosity regarding anatomy came very naturally, due to the fact that he was born into a family of physicians. Vesalius started his formal education at the University of Louvain; then traveled to Paris to continue his studies in medicine. During his life time, Vesalius was an accomplished physician, and professor of anatomy. He also received his degree as a doctor of medicine at the age of twenty-two. Vesalius writings and teachings set the foundation of anatomy we know today, hence why he received the title; founder of modern anatomy.
of medicine. Born on the island of Kos, Greece in the year 460 b.c., says the
More medical discoveries and advances are occurring every day. Medical treatments and understanding of the human anatomy have come a long way. Though if it weren’t for certain Anatomists, we may have not have had the right comprehension of the human body which could have led to errors in surgery and more deaths while treating patients. The Renaissance period was a time where Anatomists searched for clearer understanding of the human body. During the Renaissance period, Anatomists questioning and experimentation led to great discoveries of the human body.
century. In G. A. Kimble & K. Schlesinger (Eds.), Topics in the history of psychology (Vol. 2,
While it is easy to stand back and scorn the subjectivity of the ancient Greeks’ medical practices and laugh at their notions of human anatomy, it is important to recognize that all “science” has a degree of cultural influence. It is true that their sweet and sour pessaries, cures of sex, and anatomical understanding that was based on “Love” would be ridiculous in the modern western society, but rather than view their methods as “bad science,” we can use them as a rich source for discovering cultural values. Love was at the center of their science of healing, and this shows us that it was not an isolated phenomenon in Greek society, but enveloped all aspects of life – spiritual, emotional and physical.
R. L. Paul, M. M. (1972). The Species of the Brain Research, 1-19. pp. 113-117. S. A. Clark, T. A.
Hippocrates was a Greek physician that left a legacy that existed during his lifetime in Classical Greece and continues today. His moral and ethical standards were the foundation of his teachings, along with his meticulous writings concerning the study of the human body. He firmly believed that poor health and disease were the result of a natural process that could be discovered and cured through careful clinical reasoning and observations. Hippocrates travelled throughout Greece teaching and describing disease symptoms, and taught doctors how to analyze and treat specific illnesses or diseases. Hippocrates’s accomplishments give him the respect from doctors and medical professionals around the world that continues even today.