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Medicine in Ancient Greek Civilization

Medicine in Ancient Greek Civilization. Assist.Prof.Dr . Mehmet KARATAŞ Department of History of Medicine and Ethics. Ancient Greek Civilization.

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Medicine in Ancient Greek Civilization

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  1. Medicine in Ancient Greek Civilization Assist.Prof.Dr. Mehmet KARATAŞ Department of History of Medicine and Ethics

  2. Ancient Greek Civilization This civilization was established on the island of Crete in 2000 BC and lasted until 1400 BC. It is believed that those civilizations on this island had spread to the Greek territory in 1600 BC • Archaic Period:(700-500 BC) The period until the war with the Persians • Classic Period: (480–330 BC) It ends with the death of the Alexander Great. • Hellenistic Period: The ancient Greek civilization affected other civilizations, which wasn’t situated on the Greek peninsula.

  3. Medicine before Hippocrates and the Cult of Asclepius The information about the medicine in ancient Greek civilization before Hippocrates can be learned from the epics of Homer(Iliad and the Odyssey) These pieces are including the realistic definitions about the injuries at wars. According to this pieces, it can be said that the warriors had a quite enough knowledge about the medicine andthe surgery.

  4. The Cult of Asclepius The culture of the ancient Greek civilization is reflecting a polytheistic structure. Asclepius is the God of Medicine. According to the Greek mythology, Asclepius is the son of Apollo, the son of Zeus the king of the gods, and the Coronis (crow or raven), a nymph ( fairy). Apollo punished Coronis with death because of her infidelity. Then he cut the unborn child out of her womb (maybe the first cesarean in history) and gave it to the centaur Chiron to raise. After that Asclepius learned the mystery of the nature and healing from Chiron.

  5. The Cult of Asclepius There were too many priest physicians which work in Asclepions They were called as Asclepiad. They kept the medical knowledge and the medical techniques as a secret. Therefore they passed from father to son as well as being physician. They deified Asclepius as a God and built temples,which are called as Asclepion. They used these temples as hospitals. The treatment methods were associated with the religion.

  6. The Cult of Asclepius • The Greek gods are similar to men. Thus, the god Asclepius had also a family. He had 2 daughters. One of them, Hygeia, was responsible for hygiene and the other one, Panacea, was responsible for medical plants. His sons, Podaleiros and Machaon, were responsible for surgical treatments. • The critical patients were brought to Asklepions. The patients must be clean and wear white dress. Treatment was depends on temple sleep and interpretation of the dreams. Patients slept overnight in temples and expected to be visited by Asclepius in order to be cured. A special part of the temple (abaton) is reserved for the patients to sleep. • Because of the symbol of the God Asclepius was snake, they fed harmless snakes, which can circulate independent around and inside the temple.

  7. Treatment Methods • The treatments methods in Asclepions include diet, bath and exercise. Priest physicians were also interpreting the patients dreams or using them to give advice. It is believed that Priest physicians were healing the patients this way (inculcation). • Some Asclepions last until today: In Greece; Epidaurus, Kos.In Anatolia; Pergamum (Bergama) and Cnidus.

  8. Hippocrates and Hippocratic Medicine • Hippocrates is a turning point in medicine history. He was born in Kos (İstanköy) Island and it is believed that he lived between 460–377 BC • Hippocrates argued that diseases are natural processes and the symptoms are the reactions of the body to diseases. With this consideration diseases were no more thought as punishment to men because of their sins. Whereat diseases weren’t thought as they are associated with supernatural forces and they were explained rationally.

  9. Hippocrates andHippocratic Medicine • The documents which explicate Hippocratic Medicine are called as Corpus Hippocraticum. Several of them belong to Hippocrates, the others are written by another physicians. • Hippocrates’ principle “primum non nocere” (first of all don’t harm) is still a main principle in modern medicine. • Hippocrates‘ theoretical approach and medical practices are based on the concept of the philosophy on that period, especially on Empedocles' doctrines. According to Empedocles, there are 4 elements: air, water, earth and fire. He called these elements as macro cosmos. The human body is seen as a little model of the universe. Thus, it is called as micro cosmos.

  10. Hippocrates andHippocratic Medicine • The equivalents of the 4 elements which formed the nature in body are black bile, yellow bile, mucusand blood. • BLOOD(which circulates through the body)fluent and warm → AIR • MUCUS (which is located in brain) cold and fluent → WATER • YELLOW BILE (which comes from liver) dry and warm → FIRE • BLACK BILE (which is located in spleen) cold and dry → EARTH • It is believed that all disease are a result of imbalance in these component. The aim of the treatment was restoring the balance. This philosophy and these practices had an influence since 19th century.

  11. HippocraticOath It is neither the first nor the only oath in the history of the medicine. But it still defines the moral rules of physicians. That’s why it was and is important for centuries.

  12. Hippocratic Oath Apollo Physician and Asclepius and Hygieia and Panaceia and all the gods and goddesses, making them my witnesses, that I will fulfill according to my ability and judgment this oath and this covenant: To hold him who has taught me this art as equal to my parents and to live my life in partnership with him, and if he is in need of money to give him a share of mine, and to regard his offspring as equal to my brothers in male lineage and to teach them this art - if they desire to learn it - without fee and covenant; to give a share of precepts and oral instruction and all the other learning to my sons and to the sons of him who has instructed me and to pupils who have signed the covenant and have taken an oath according to the medical law, but to no one else. I will apply dietetic measures for the benefit of the sick according to my ability and judgment; I will keep them from harm and injustice. I will neither give a deadly drug to anybody if asked for it, nor will I make a suggestion to this effect. Similarly I will not give to a woman an abortive remedy. In purity and holiness I will guard my life and my art.

  13. I will not use the knife, not even on sufferers from stone, but will withdraw in favor of such men as are engaged in this work. Whatever houses I may visit, I will come for the benefit of the sick, remaining free of all intentional injustice, of all mischief and in particular of sexual relations with both female and male persons, be they free or slaves. What I may see or hear in the course of the treatment or even outside of the treatment in regard to the life of men, which on no account one must spread abroad, I will keep to myself holding such things shameful to be spoken about. If I fulfill this path and do not violate it, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and art, being honored with fame among all men for all time to come; if I transgress it and swear falsely. may the opposite of all this be my lot The Hippocratic Oath: Text. Translation. and Interpretation. by Ludwig Edelstein, Supplements to the Bulletin of the History of Medicine. no. 1 1943).

  14. Medicine in Alexandria After the establishment of the Alexandria in 322 BC first ruler Ptolemy Soler from Ptolemy dynasty had constructed the worlds famous library. In this atmosphere many famous philosophers, poets and physicians grew up. This period is also called as Hellenistic Period.

  15. Medicine in Alexandria • Herophilus from Chalcedonies (Kadıköy) and Erasistratus are famous scientists of Alexandria.They defined some anatomical terms by Vivisection (from Latin vivus, meaning "alive", and sectio, meaning "cutting"). It is believed that they worked on criminals and their work was open to public. • Besides Erasistratus also worked on metabolism. ItisbelievedthatErasistratuswasthe first one who defined the heart valves.

  16. Medicine in Alexandria • In this period,it is believed that the mind waslocated in brain and a fifth element, pneuma, was circulating in veins in order to protect the liveliness. • This period is short-lived and the students didn’t follow their teachers.

  17. Konuyla İlgili SORU/CEVAP Soru 1: Antik Yunan tıbbının Hipokrat döneminde tıbbi uygulamalardaki kuramsal yaklaşımı neydi? Cevap 1: Dört unsur (hıltlar teorisi) Soru 2: Hipokrat’ın eserlerinin toplandığı kitabın adı nedir? Cevap 2: Corpus Hippocraticum

  18. References A. Selim ATAY, İnönü Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, translation Tolga GÜVEN, Marmara Üniversitesi Tıp Tarihi ve Etik AD ders notları Ali Haydar BAYAT, Tıp Tarihi Emine ATABEK, Şefik GÖRKEY, Başlangıcından Rönesansa Kadar Tıp Tarihi Çağlar Boyu Tıp, Roche Yayınları http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

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