History of Medicine

As we come to accept that the great covid-19 pandemic which started off as an epidemic is slowly becoming  endemic , it's worth noting the new additions to our vocabulary. These words that were likely "all Greek to you" before 2020, are indeed just that -- they are all in fact derived from ancient Greek! The word  epidemic was in use since at least the time of Homer which is around 600 BCE, and is mentioned in the Odyssey to mean "who is back home" or "who is in his country." However, it was first introduced to medical jargon, along with its closely associated words pandemic and endemic , by the ancient Greek doctor, Hippocrates.    Hippocrates' treatise on Epidemics  Evolution of the term Epidemics. Credit: Paul Martin And not just these but several other words that we have come to associate with the current pandemic (as well as other diseases) were also coined by Hippocrates and his medical school such as: Cytokine Chronic Resolution Peak Acute

One of the key elements of yoga is breathing exercises; in fact, many claim breathing techniques called pranayama form the foundation of yoga as one of its eight pillars, along with asanas (exercises), meditation.  Pranayama is derived from Sanskrit words,  prana meaning "life force" and yama meaning "control." So essentially it means controlling your life force. (More on the life force concept to follow, but I also covered it in a previous post which can be found at https://ancientmedicina.blogspot.com/2020/09/vital-energy-in-ancient-medicine.html)  One of the pranayama exercises used in yoga is called  Nadi Shodhana  which means purification of the channel or flow in Sanskrit. It requires timed deep inhaling and exhaling from alternate nostrils repeatedly. While pranayama is common practice for anyone with knowledge of yoga (including my family), what is not widely known is the real medical benefits of this breathing technique. Many people do it because it is p

While on the topic of exercise and health, one cannot ignore the growing popularity of yoga in medicine. Its health benefits have been touted in alternative medicine for many years, but yoga is finally being embraced by clinical western medicine. Consisting of a series of "asanas" or stretching exercises, deep breathing, and mental focus, yoga is known to release stress and relax the body and mind. Researchers have now found direct evidence that yoga can indeed have a quantifiable effect to treat a number of diseases. The biggest benefit yoga has is on cardiovascular health. The ability of yoga to reduce stress has a direct correlation to heart health because stress releases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline, which narrow the arteries and increase blood pressure. Yoga also increases blood circulation, which further helps cardiovascular health. And there is data to prove this. A 2014 controlled group study showed that the group practicing yoga had lower total cholesterol a

Feeling happy causes you to smile, but is the opposite also true? Apparently so. Smiling (even forced) can trick the brain into feeling happy! This is because a smile and the resulting contraction of the facial muscles have a neurobiological effect on the brain by triggering a chemical reaction that releases certain hormones like dopamine and serotonin, both of which are associated with mental health. A low level of either hormone can cause depression, and conversely releasing these hormones can reduce depression. Dopamine specifically increases the feeling of happiness, while serotonin reduces stress and anxiety. While the effect of smiling on mental health is perhaps not that surprising, what is even more interesting is that a simple smile can also improve physical health in several ways:  Boosts the immune system Reduces blood pressure  Lowers heart rate Releases endorphins, which are natural pain relievers And all this is simply from the physical act of smiling; the brain cannot di

In my previous post, I explored the history of cancer. Since we know it existed in ancient times, it follows that so did its name. In fact, the name "cancer" was coined by none other than the great Hippocrates (well, not the exact name but the root of the name). Hippocrates in fact, used two terms,  carcinoma and carcinos,  to describe ulcerous and non-ulcerous tumors respectively. He named the tumors after Carcinus (or Karkinos), a giant crab in Greek mythology that was sent by the Goddess Hera to help Hydra fight against Hercules. As to why Hippocrates chose to name the tumor after a crab is not quite clear but there are several theories:       -  The hardness of a malignant tumor reminded him of the hard shell of a crab.      - The pain induced by a malignant tumor is similar to a sharp pinch of a crab's claw.     -  The tenacity of cancer is similar to the determination with which a crab bites and grabs on to a person.  While all these theories seem plausible, the

With COVID-19 grabbing much of the world's attention in the last two years, all other diseases have taken a backseat, yet they remain no less dangerous. One such disease getting buried in the covid hysteria is cancer. The second leading cause of death in the United States, cancer is one of the most prevalent diseases of modern times. A chilling fact is that nearly one in three (33%) Americans will get cancer in their lifetime. The mortality rate is equally grim—an estimated 600,000 people died of cancer in 2020 in the United States alone, nearly double the number of deaths (~350,000 in 2020) attributed to the coronavirus! Purple ribbon symbol for cancer. While there's no doubt that the incidence of cancer has increased in recent times, it is by no means a modern disease. Cancer has existed since ancient, even pre-historic times! Paleontologists recently discovered cancer in dinosaur fossils from 70 million years ago. In humans, the earliest evidence of cancer was found in a

Happy Fall! The prettiest season in New England with leaves changing color and the weather getting cooler, not to mention hordes of squirrels scurrying around gathering acorns for the winter (I just learned that a group of squirrels is in fact called a scurry!). Fall is also special for me because it's my birthday season (plus Halloween and Thanksgiving season)! Changing color of leaves in Fall In ancient medicine, Fall is associated with the beginning of the Yin cycle (of yin and yang fame) with the days getting shorter and cooler. The Summer element of Fire (signifying activity and energy) gives way to the Metal element in fall. The metal signifies calmness and organization, so here's to a more organized and structured lifestyle (which seems impossible right now with senior year and college apps on my head but oh, so necessary!) An old Chinese saying by Tao Te Ching goes,  When I let go of what I have, I receive what I need. When I let go of what I am, I become what I might b

I have previously written about the ancient medical science of India called Ayurveda. Tracing its roots back to 6000 BCE (unofficially), Ayurveda is older than the Classical civilizations and thus predates Greek medicine. Ayurveda is still in practice in many parts of India as alternative medicine. But I recently discovered there is another form of alternative medicine in India called Unani medicine. I first heard about it from a Harvard professor and I was embarrassed to admit I hadn't heard of it, so I decided to dig deeper and what I found is quite interesting. Turns out it is still used in practice today as one of the 5 traditional medical sciences recognized by the Indian government as AYUSH ( Ayurveda, Yoga, Unani, Siddhi, Homeopathy).   Interestingly, Unani medicine is none other than ancient Greek medicine practiced by Hippocrates and Galen. In fact, Unani means "Greek" in Arabic. Unani medicine was introduced in India around the tenth century by Arab and Persian

I read a fascinating discussion on the contrasts between ancient and modern medicine which really struck a chord since I have spent much time researching and writing about the concepts of experience versus evidence in medicine. Reflecting on cupping therapy, the paper's author, Dr. Anna Dinallo of the University of New Mexico, made the observation that modern medicine is based solely on knowledge of anatomy, which is learned primarily through dissection. Therefore, all modern medical knowledge is really obtained from a dead body. The author also argues that modern practitioners use anatomical dissections to discredit alternative medicine which does not have an anatomical foundation. I found that really interesting. All ancient medicine is based on experience. Diagnosis itself relies on examination through observation of pulse, smell, and sound-- all senses that the author argues rightly, are absent in a corpse during dissection. In fact, Ayurveda has 8 distinct examinations that ar

As I mentioned in my previous post, cupping can be done in two ways: dry or wet. Although dry cupping is the more common procedure used by athletes, wet cupping also has a fan following. Interestingly, both therapeutic approaches originated in ancient times, and apparently separately. Wet cupping derived from a distinctly different therapy called bloodletting which was very common in antiquity. In other words, I think modern wet cupping might be a combination of the ancient therapies of cupping and bloodletting (will need to dig deeper for confirmation of this fact). Wet cupping is similar to dry cupping in that it creates a mild suction by leaving a cup in place for a few minutes, but it is followed by the therapist making a tiny cut on the skin using a small scalpel. A second suction on top of that area draws out blood- a small quantity, but significant nonetheless! Although I would be too freaked out to try it, it has its supporters, and a recent study even found that it might be ef

As medicine developed independently in all of the ancient civilizations, it is interesting to note the many similarities in beliefs and practices; however, there were also some important distinctions in all four of the major civilizations. Although I touched upon it in my previous post, I wanted to explore and highlight the similarities and differences among the four medical sciences in more detail. Cause of Disease Supernatural forces: Both Mesopotamian and Egyptian medicine believed that disease was caused by supernatural forces and not natural causes. Mesopotamians and Ancient Egyptians alike blamed various gods, demons and spirits for disease- each spirit was responsible for one disease. Although Mesopotamians knew that various organs in the body could malfunction and lead to disease, they attributed the malfunction to an evil spirit. Likewise, Egyptians believed spirits blocked channels in the body and caused its malfunction. Body Imbalance: Indian and Chinese medicine, on the o

Although western medicine has its roots in the Classical Greek civilization, the history of medicine dates back thousands of years before Classical Greece. Medicine started developing as a science in the earliest human civilizations and developed independently in all four of the major ancient civilizations: • Babylon/Mesopotamia • Egypt • India • China They represent four of the oldest branches of medicine with each developing independently and presumably without any interaction or influence from each other. And yet, they have many similarities. Ancient medicine in (clockwise from top left) Babylon, Egypt, China, and India  Babylon Babylonians believed that diseases were caused by supernatural forces (gods and demons) and therefore, did not distinguish between magic and medicine, yet they introduced the practice of diagnosis and prognosis. Treatment included identifying the illness according to the power that caused it, and treating it with medical agents and rituals to appease t

Ancient and modern medicine differ primarily in their approach to finding a cure- the former relied on experience and accumulated knowledge (tried and true method, if you will), whereas modern medicine uses chemistry and research to determine the therapeutic potential of a drug. As a result, the two are often distinguished as Experience vs. Evidence-based medicine. Another important difference between ancient and modern medicine is that modern medicine uses targeted treatment of the specific illness whereas ancient medicine relied on holistic healing.  Experience Vs. Evidence- Based Medicine While both are on opposite sides of the medical spectrum with modern medicine seeming far more logical and therefore reliable, modern medicine still lacks cures for many diseases that traditional medicines seemed to have a remedy for, including common ailments like the cold and stomach issues.  In fact, after years of dismissing ancient (mainly traditional eastern) medical practices as non-scientif

If ancient Chinese medicine can give us a cure for malaria, could it also provide cures for other diseases like cancer? That was my thought when I first read about the discovery of the malaria remedy in TCM, and apparently, I wasn't the first to think that! A pharmacology professor at Yale University is trying to find out exactly that. Prof. Yung-Chi Cheng of the Yale School of Medicine is studying botanical drugs based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) that can make traditional cancer treatments work better. The professor calls the approach "WE medicine"- a combination of Western experimental-based pharmacology and eastern experience plant-based medicine.  I found the story of how his research began also quite interesting. After he expressed his interest in Chinese medicine for cancer treatment to a postdoc researcher, Shwu-Huey Liu, she went to the library and started researching Chinese herbs. After narrowing the search to common herbs that are still in use, and ha

Today (April 25) is World Malaria Day, so I figured it would be apt to write about the disease which is related to my recent posts on artemisinin and quinine, and also has a strong connection to the ancient times.  Malaria is a mosquito-borne disease that is widespread in tropical and sub-tropical areas of the world. It causes flu-like symptoms including fever, headache and vomiting, and can be fatal if untreated. Every year, there are over 200 million cases and around 500,000 deaths, 95% of which are in Africa. Malaria was also responsible for several epidemics in the Americas in the 1700 and 1800s, until it was discovered that mosquitos carried the disease and anti-mosquito measures were widely utilized. Malaria pathogen attached to red blood cell Not only is malaria one of the most common diseases in the world, it is also one of the oldest. References to malaria are found in practically all ancient medical texts, including from the Classical period. In fact, it is thought that the d

Just as we owe most of our medical knowledge to the physicians of ancient times, there are some medicines in use today that are directly taken from ancient medicine. One such ancient medicine that is still used today, albeit in a different form, is aspirin. Aspirin is arguably the most commonly used drug in the world today. It  has  appeared in the Guinness Book of Records as the most frequently sold pain reliever in the world and is also  “one of the most endurably successful commercial products of all time."   Its use ranges from simple pain relief to heart attack and stroke prevention.  The active ingredient of Aspirin is the medicinal compound salicin, which is refined from willow bark, and that's the ancient connection. Willow bark was used extensively by the ancient Sumerians and Egyptians for pain relief, and later advocated by Hippocrates in Greece and Pliny the Elder in Ancient Rome. Willow bark continued to be used as a pain reliever in its natural form until the mid

Another herbal remedy for COVID-19 is making news, this time in India. A company called Patanjali Ayurved that sells products based on ancient medicinal herbs from Ayurveda is marketing a new product called Coronil that it claims is effective against covid. The company has met with criticism in the past for overselling its products, but the company stands by its claims and claims to have clinical test data to back its claims. The Indian ministry's AYUSH section of Central Drugs Standard Control Organization has approved Coronil as a drug that can be used as “supporting measure in Covid-19” and as an immuno-booster. Coronil is the first product against covid-19 to be marketed by a prominent company and one that is based on ancient medicine. The medicine reportedly contains active compounds from three common Ayurvedic herbs, ashwagandha, giloy, and tulsi, and is touted as exhibiting high anti-viral and immunity boosting properties. The product has approval for export to 158 countries

Long before artemisinin was discovered as an effective anti-malarial agent (in the 1970s), there was another natural anti-malarial remedy that was widely used. Quinine, made from the bark of a tree holds great importance in medicine and has a fascinating history.  In the 1800s, European settlers in South America discovered that the bark of a native Peruvian tree called cinchona tree was widely used by locals to ward off mosquitos and it served as an effective anti-malarial remedy. The active ingredient, quinine, was soon isolated from the cinchona bark, and it became the mainstay of anti-malaria treatment for hundreds of years all over the world (and continues even today in certain countries).  Cinchona tree Although the discovery of quinine was a landmark for western medicine, it also had horrendous consequences, especially for the people of Africa. The fear of malaria and other diseases had kept colonial powers out of Africa for centuries, but the effectiveness of quinine against mal

The 2015 Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine was won by a Chinese scientist, Tu Youyou, for her discovery of anti-malarial drug, artemisinin in the 1970s. Artemisinin is derived from the flowering plant  Artemisia annua (or sweet wormwood).  Artemisinin-based combination therapies (ACTs) are now standard treatment for malaria worldwide, and several drugs containing artemisinin such as Artesunate are now widely available.  Artemisia plant While it was heralded as a pathbreaking discovery in the 1970's, it turns out it wasn't entirely a new discovery. In fact, it had been known to mankind thousands of years ago, and has a very interesting journey from ancient to modern medicine. Several thousand years ago, ancient Chinese doctors prescribed tea made from a flowering plant called Qing Hao (modern name: artemisia) for fever and inflammation. Like many other traditional medicines, it was lost in historical texts. That is until the Vietnam War started. The Viêt-Cong soldiers fighti

It's been over a year since COVID-19 first made its appearance, yet it remains as challenging as ever to beat. As cases surge around the world with no clear remedy in sight except for the vaccine (hopefully!), there is increasing attention being paid to ancient remedies. After various Indian and Chinese remedies made their rounds (which I wrote about some time back), here's a new one that made news this month. Andrographis paniculata , a herbal plant commonly known as green chiretta, was recently approved by Thailand for treating COVID-19. Their ministry of health has started a pilot program to test the alternative treatment after human trials showed patient condition improving within days of treatment with the extract. The ancient herb has apparently reduced the severity of inflammations in early stages of the disease.  Turns out, Andrographis paniculata is a well known ayurvedic herb, called  Kalmegh,  and is used to treat liver disease and fever. According to ayurveda, the &