The History of Medicine

1. The History of Medicine Principles of Medical Science

2. History of Medicine • Question: How long has disease been around? • Arthritis (also called “cave gout”) was found in dinosaurs and prehistoric bears • Fractures on bones were common

3. History of Medicine • Question: What about disease in primitive man (and woman)? • Tuberculosis and parasite infestations (small dark pin holes in vertebrae and skull) • Under calcified bones caused by poor nutrition • Eroded and decayed teeth caused from improper diet and pyorrhea (gum disease) • Women died in difficult childbirth (skeletal remains found with fetal remains still in pelvis) • They had to nurse their babies and the best food went to men so they had weak immune systems

4. history of Medicine • Question: What about the Neanderthal people? • Some scientists think that they weren’t stooped over because they were the “Missing Link”, but had advanced arthritis! WHAT DO YOU THINK?????

5. History of Medicine • Question: How did prehistoric man deal with illness? • We aren’t sure, but we can guess from: • *cave drawings • *bony remains and artifacts • *comparison to primitive societies today (religion, music and medical treatment mingled together)

6. History of Medicine • Question: Who were the ancient healers? (Witch doctors or healers) Shaman

7. History of Medicine • Question: What were their techniques and tools of their trade? • Techniques: chanting, praying, hallucinogenic trances (sometimes it meant frightening evil spirits from patients and then casting it into a cockroach and stomping on it; Sucking and vomiting-shaman would inhale large amounts of tobacco smoke until nauseated and then right before vomiting with suck evil spirits out of patient and vomit) • Tools: facial and body paints and medical bags which held dried plants, herbs, sticks, sucking tubes, sharpened animal bones, and even human scrotum!

8. History of Medicine • Question: How did primitive societies regard sick or disabled people? • Cherokees and Navahos- treated with kindness and acceptance; North American Indians were in awe of those that survived and treated them like gods • Eskimos- set out old and sickly in unsheltered areas to die • Other groups- killed and ate them (to preserve life force of tribe)

9. History of Medicine • Question: How did primitive people regard mentally ill? • Some were shunned- they were thought to carry evil spirits • Eskimos and Siberian peoples that this was a sign of a shaman

10. History of Medicine • Question: How did primitives deal with injuries? • Sewed up cuts (lacerations) with strips of animal tendon and needles made from bone • Made wood splints and casts from hardened hides • Trepanation- drilled hole in skull to “let out evil spirits”

11. History of Medicine • Question: How did primitives deal with injuries? • Deadened skin with plant substances • Used herbs and plants as medicine • digitalis-from foxglove plant (slows heart) • quinine from bark of cinchona tree (helps with malaria, controls fever) • belladonna and atropine from poisonous nightshade plant(relieves muscle spasms) • Morphine and opium from poppy (pain relief) • acetylsalicylic acid from bark of willow tree (pain-aspirin) • Medical marijuana?