Medicine in Ancient Rome

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  • Created by: lucyaa
  • Created on: 04-12-16 18:39
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  • Ancient Rome
    • Connections with Greek medicine
      • First doctors in Rome were Greek (prisoners of war).
        • They were unpopular: foreign/the romans were jealous of their skills.
      • main medical books in Rome were written by Hippocrates + his greek followers.
      • Romans took over Alexandria (libraries+unis)- centre of medical learning.
    • Background
      • Slave owning society.
      • Very wealthy.
      • People of the Roman empire were taxed.
    • Galen
      • Got knowledge  from being a surgeon at a gladiator school.
      • A Greek physician.
      • He emphasised Hippocrates observation to diagnose treatment + believed in the 4 humours.
        • Developed the idea of "opposites" to balance the humours.
          • e.g. Cold = Pepper (something hot)
      • He carried out dissections in Alexandria, but in Rome you could only dissect on animals.
        • He proved that the brain controlled speech (not the heart) + that arteries + veins carry blood through the body.
        • He proved animal's anatomy was different to humans, so told his students to dissect humans whenever possible.
          • By using animals he made mistakes.
            • e.g. holes in spectrum of heart which let flood go from left to right side.
            • e.g.  Blood was consumed rather then circulated.
        • Had the idea of Design- that body parts fitted together (Suits christians)
      • He wrote 60 books- combining greek + roman ideas.
        • So convincing they became the basis of learning for 1500 years.
    • Beliefs & treatments
      • Didn't care about theories like the Greeks- they were practical.
        • Doctors encouraged exercise, a good diet, and opposites.
          • Doctors were too expensive- Head of the household was in charge. Used common sense + herbs.
        • Some still believed in the Gods.
    • Surgery
      • Most common was bleeding.
      • Internal operations were rare (risky).
      • There were amputations + trephining was used to relieve head pain.
    • Public health
      • They noticed the crowded cities, water and dirt made people ill.
        • Lack of water: Aqueducts (clay channels) which took water from fresh springs, to reservoirs, to cities.
          • Allocated water to people.
        • Waste: Sewers built which washed sewage out to sea from private houses.
          • Timber lined drains.

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