History of Medicine

As we ponder the consequences of the current COVID-19 pandemic, it is interesting to look back at history, which is riddled with pandemics with staggering death tolls. I thought it would be worthwhile to compare the effects of historical pandemics with the current one for some perspective. While the effects of the current pandemic are certainly shocking, it was shocking to discover that other pandemics were even more devastating with some like the plague claiming tens of millions of lives. The infographic below offers a great visual representation of the death toll of past pandemics and helps provide a good perspective on how each pandemic compares with others and also to the pandemic we face today. Death Toll of Various Pandemics. Image: Visual Capitalist   The tragic loss of human life is an obvious consequence of a pandemic, but there are also other fallouts that are less well known but equally important in the context of history. Looking at pandemics of the ancient worl

Another important person in Greek medicine is Hippocrates. Hippocrates is considered the father of modern medicine who continues to influence medicine more than 2000 years later. Although he is as revered as Asclepius, they have very different origins. While Asclepius is a mythological character, considered to be descended from God, Hippocrates is very much a historical figure, whose origin and life is recorded in history. Hippocrates lived from 460 to 375 BCE during the Classical Greece period and practiced medicine in Greece. His contribution to western medicine is rivaled by none other, and his collection of works covers almost every aspect of disease and medicine including infection, hygiene, epidemiology and the human immune system. Bust of Hippocrates Also, unlike Asclepius, Hippocrates practiced medicine as a science, not as divine magic. He was one of the first to separate religion from medicine, and sought to match treatment with symptoms.  His observations in the Corp

Asclepius is the ancient Greek god of medicine. He is the son of Apollo and a mortal woman named Koronis, which makes him a demigod. Asclepius grew up motherless with different versions of how he lost his mother. However, in all versions of his story, he is brought up by his father, Apollo, who grants him the gift of healing and the secrets of medicine using herbs and plants. Asclepius is married to Hygeia, the goddess of hygiene and health (although some versions claim she is his daughter!) Statue of Asclepius Asclepius was a very gifted healer who was so successful at saving lives that he could also raise the dead. This made the god of the underworld, Hades, worried that he would not get any dead spirits, so he complained to his brother, Zeus. Fearing that Asclepius will make humans immortal, Zeus kills Asclepius with the strike of a thunderbolt, but later places him among the stars as the constellation, Ophiuchus , also known as the Serpent bearer. Ophiuchus constella

When watching news about the WHO (World Health Organization), I noticed their flag has a serpent coiled around a rod, which bears resemblance to many other medical logos. Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine, is also always depicted with a staff entwined with a serpent, so it piqued my interest about the origin of the medical symbols containing a serpent and a stick. It was hardly surprising when I found that many logos associated with modern medicine are actually derived from the Rod of Asclepius. WHO emblem Statue of Asclepius with the Rod of Asclepius The snake was used as a symbol of healing by the ancient Greeks because snakes were regarded as sacred and used in healing rituals. The venom from snakes was considered remedial and used for many ailments. Also, the shedding of the snake’s skin was viewed as a symbol of rebirth and renewal. Several healing temples or asclepieia where the sick were sent to recuperate in ancient Greece had non-venomous snakes called the