Chonda Lafia

The medicine that is used in modern societies is very different from the medical attentions of ancient history. Early civilizations did not have doctors and medical treatments, they saw illnesses and diseases as a normal part of everyday life - just one of the dangers. Historians have studied ancient medicine and observed that it evolved in different cultures and civilizations.

When trying to determine who invented medicine, historians look to ancient Egypt, which had the first physicians. The most famous medical practitioner in the history of medication is Imhotep, who is considered to be the father of medicine, as there are no records of medical work before him. The ancient Egyptians treated wounds and injuries and developed medical texts to teach others how to save lives and prevent serious injuries from killing people.

The history of medication in ancient Babylon involved heavy reliance on magic and religion. The medical procedures, medication given, and surgeries performed were a mixture of natural remedies and faith rituals. While the Egyptians believed in training medical providers, in ancient Babylon anybody at all could become a doctor. However, it was a risky job. A doctor who killed a patient during surgery could have their hands cut off as punishment.

The medical practices of the ancient Babylon civilization have been studied from texts which have survived from around 500 BCE. These texts give detailed ingredients for the medicines the doctors prescribed, although it appears a lot of medicine was guesswork.

The ancient medicine of India is studied from the sacred writings of the time called Vedas, which was originally passed down orally. Parents would teach their children and so the culture would learn the knowledge through the generations. Vedas was written down between 1500 and 500 BCE and explain the practices used in ancient India for medicine as well as the beliefs of the people at the time.

While the ancient Indians did use plants and other natural medicines, they also had a strong religious belief that the healing of people was related to gods, magic, and charms such as crystals and talismans.

The ancient Chinese also recorded their medical knowledge for future generations. An important text that can be studied by historians today is the Huangdi Neijing, which relates to internal medicine in ancient China and explains in detail how to perform medical treatments.

The ancient Chinese believed in balance in the body and the world, called the Yin-Yang. If a person's internal balance was not in order, they could become ill and even die. Ancient Chinese medicines used many procedures, some of which are still in use today like the practice of acupuncture. They also used herbs and natural remedies to prevent disease and cure people of illness.

Between 700 and 300 BCE, the ancient Greek civilization became powerful and developed as a country and an empire. They encountered other civilizations and learned from them, using medical knowledge developed from Egypt, Babylon, China, and India. Imhotep became Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine, known for the rod of Asclepius, a staff with a snake wound around it. This rod became the official symbol for medicine it is recognized the world over today. For example, Asclepius's rod is the official symbol of the World Health Organization (WHO).

Doctors today take an oath to do no harm; this "Hippocratic oath" is named after the Greek physician Hippocrates. He is considered to be the father of modern medicine and developed many techniques and rules that medical practitioners observe.

Medicine in Greece marked a turning point in the history of medication by moving away from religion as part of medicine and rather relying on science and natural consequences to determine treatments.

As the ancient Romans took over from the Greeks, they learned and improved on Greek medical information. Some Greek physicians even became Roman, like the famous doctor Galen. Once the Roman Empire fell, the important medical advances and procedures of the Greeks and Romans were preserved in ancient texts. Medieval monks preserved these texts and helped to establish hospitals to care for and heal people with proven procedures. The medieval monks also translated texts into many languages such as Latin and Arabic.

Medicine started advancing when the ancient Greeks transitioned from the over-reliance on faith and magic from previous civilizations to taking a scientific, evidence-based attitude. With records of medical procedures being translated into other languages, more people were learning how to save lives, further advancing medical treatments.