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

The coronavirus pandemic has brought a fresh focus on personal habits; we all know the drill by now: wash hands with soap for 20 seconds, use hand sanitizer containing at least 60% alcohol and do not touch your face. These simple habits go a long way in protecting us from not just covid-19 but any infectious disease (something to remember next flu season!). Although it helps to be reminded, most people know the value of personal hygiene and its effect on health. Infectious diseases were common in ancient times, and although the cause of such diseases was not well understood, the concept of hygiene was certainly associated with health. The word hygiene itself derives from Hygieia, the Greek goddess of health and cleanliness, who was the daughter of Asclepius, the god of medicine. Statue of Hygieia. Image: Greek Mythology The Greeks had the theory of miasma that attributed diseases to bad air, which was really a primitive concept of hygiene. Hippocrates himself recommended patie

Happy Easter! Every year for Easter Sunday, Christians around the world pray to Jesus Christ, their Savior. It is the fundamental belief of the Christian faith that Christ came on earth to heal humans and rid them of their pains and sicknesses. On this occasion, I thought it would be cool to look at some of the supernatural beliefs related to medicine in the ancient world. Most of the ancient civilizations had a close relationship with god. All suffering and diseases were attributed to the wrath of the gods. This was most evident in the oldest civilizations of Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. The ancient Egyptians believed that gods, demons, and spirits played a key role in causing diseases. They believed that spirits blocked channels in the body and affected the way the body functioned. They used prayer as a solution to their diseases, and priests played the role of doctors. Similarly, the Babylonians believed spirits were responsible for illness, with each spirit responsible for o

In my previous post, I wrote about the appreciation shown towards healthcare workers during the current pandemic. Not just during this crisis, but people, in general, have a lot of respect for the medical profession. Unfortunately, it seems it wasn’t so in the Ancient Roman civilization. Medicine wasn’t a very highly regarded profession in Ancient Rome. One of the main reasons for this was because many doctors were actually freed Greek slaves, so they were not respected very much. Also, becoming a doctor required no formal training -- it was mostly from apprenticeship. As a result, there was a lot of trial and error in treating patients, which resulted in a low success rate and therefore, skepticism and even scorn towards doctors.  The first Greek doctor who came to Rome was Archagathus of Sparta in 219 BC. He specialized in healing battle wounds, but Romans were skeptical of his methods of cutting and burning the flesh, which earned him the nickname, carnifex or 'butcher'.