Public Health Through The Ages Notes

PUBLIC HEALTH AND THE IMPACT OF GOVERNMENT ON PUBLIC HEALTH THROUGH THE AGES

Time Period

Key happenings/ ideas

Key individuals

Prehistoric

10000-3000BC

· No public health provision, no government, no idea that there’s a link between dirt and disease.

Egyptian

3000BC-700BC

· The Egyptians liked to keep clean but did so more for social and religious reasons.

· Egyptians did use mosquito nets but probably wouldn’t have realised that they were preventing malaria.

· Priests kept extremely clean for religious reasons rather than due to knowledge of personal hygiene.

Greek

700BC-400BC

· Rich Greeks followed a health programme of washing, eating properly and keeping fit. This was mainly linked to Hippocrates and the 4 humours

· Hippocrates taught people to be clean and healthy to keep the humours balanced.

Roman

400BC-400AD

· The Romans were the first people to develop a properly substantial health system.

· They built aqueducts, public bath houses, sewers and toilets.

· The Romans realised that they needed to keep their soldiers in a good state of hygiene to keep them healthy.

· Like the Greeks they had good personal hygiene due to Hippocrates’ theory on the 4 humours.

· Army camps were based away from swamps as was housing in most places.

· Officials monitored cleanliness of bath houses.

· Hospitals were built to look after soldiers

· Galen prescribed gym treatments as part of his following of Hippocrates’ theory on the 4 humours.

· General belief in prevention rather than cure.

· Wealthy, powerful and strong government with a great ability at construction.

Middle Ages/ Medieval

400AD-1500AD

(dark ages from 400-1000AD)

· No sewerage systems or public health services like during the Roman period of time. Rubbish and excrement was just thrown into streets.

· Monasteries provided public health and built wash rooms and latrines for religious reasons.

· People realised that living in the room next to a toilet was unhealthy.

· People realised sexually transmitted diseases were infectious.

· Many towns had quarantine laws during the plague and the houses of infected people were boarded up.

· The first new hospitals since the Roman times were built.

· 1348 Black Death lead people to clear rubbish off the streets. It was spread by rats and infected people quickly. People thought it was caused by God or bad air- miasma. It was combat with potions, quarantine, nice smelling air.

· Guy de Chauliac (doctor to the pope) realised that a good diet was important in staying strong.

· Alderotti’s programme of health advises people to stretch their limbs, wash their faces and exercise.

· People were paid to clear out cess pits.

Rhazes and Ibn Sina were Islamic doctors. BARBER SURGEONS!!

DURING THE MIDDLE AGES THERE WAS MUCH MORE PROGRESS IN ISLAM WHERE GALENS BOOKS WERE TRANSLATED AND PEOPLE WERE COMPASSIONATE TOWARDS MENTALLY ILL. IBN SINA WROTE “THE CANON OF MEDICINE” WHICH WAS A POPULAR MEDICAL TEXT.

NO LONGER WAS A SINGLE…