Medicine in Ancient Rome
- 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.
- First doctors in Rome were Greek (prisoners of war).
- 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)
- Developed the idea of "opposites" to balance the humours.
- 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.
- By using animals he made mistakes.
- 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.
- Doctors encouraged exercise, a good diet, and opposites.
- Didn't care about theories like the Greeks- they were practical.
- 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.
- Lack of water: Aqueducts (clay channels) which took water from fresh springs, to reservoirs, to cities.
- They noticed the crowded cities, water and dirt made people ill.
- Connections with Greek medicine
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