History of Medicine

Happy Meditrinalia! Those who are legally allowed to, raise a glass of your favorite wine in cheer- the goddess of health is smiling upon you today! Meditrinalia is an ancient Roman festival that was celebrated on October 11 in honor of the goddess of medicine, Meditrina. According to legend, the festival marked the end of the vine harvest, and people of Latium began to taste their new wine on this day. Although it was first celebrated in honor of Jupiter, it soon gave rise to a new goddess of  healing/medicine, Meditrina, on whom the festival is now named.  The Romans made an offering of wine to the gods on this occasion while reciting   " vetus novum vinum bibo, novo veteri morbo medeor."   which translates to  ''Wine new and old I drink, of illness new and old I'm cured."  The new wine was thought to hold healing powers. Given that we now know wine is rich in antioxidants, and it can help reduce cholesterol and heart disease, the ancient Romans sure were o

Sticking with the wonderful theme of alcohol, here’s a look at wine in ancient medicine. Adapted again from  Tom Standage’s A History of the World in 6 Glasses , but also other sources that have studied the use of wine in ancient civilizations. Although beer is thought to be the oldest drink consumed by humans, wine has an equally ancient history. The only difference is that it took longer for wine to become a common drink. The origin of wine has been traced back to the Neolithic Period, somewhere between 9000 and 4000 BCE, in the Zagros Mountains in present-day Iran and Armenia. Unlike beer, which was drunk by both the rich and the poor, wine was a status symbol associated with wealth and power. It was only consumed by those who could afford the expensive beverage, namely kings and noble men in ancient Greece. It was the Romans who transformed it from a luxury drink to one for the masses. It has been well known since the time of the ancient Greeks that wine can help relax and re