Greek doctors were convinced that nature itself was the best healer and that whenever possible they shouldn’t interfere with this process. There was however some treatments for the unbalanced humours included vomit, purging their bowels, or bleeding them, depending on which humour was out of balance.
Along with the theory of the four humours there were also developments on the medical front with many great ideas from Hippocrates. Hippocrates showed how important it was to observe and record carefully the patient’s symptoms and developments of disease. This had two advantages. Doctors were more likely to choose the right cure if they took care to find out the cause of the problem. These notes could also be used to help with the diagnosis and treatment of future projects. Hippocrates developed the theory of the four humours although they were proven wrong it dominated medical treatments for centuries. Hippocrates encouraged people to look for natural treatments for illnesses rather than going to the gods for help. Hippocrates wrote many books on medicine and these were called the Hippocratic Collection. These books have been used by doctors for centuries. This collection is important as it is the first detailed list of symptoms and treatments. Doctors continued to use the theories of Hippocrates as the basis for their own work for years. Hippocrates also devised the Hippocratic Oath that all doctors had to take and it is still used today. They have to keep high standards of treatment and behaviour and to work for the benefit of patients rather than to make themselves rich.
Code of behaviour
*Firstly would have to be well trained.
*The doctors would also have to be efficient and thoughtful.
*The doctors were expected to behave in a proper manner to their patients.
The doctors in Ancient Rome did not receive the respect doctors today have. In fact most Roman doctors were viewed as cheats. Doctors were employed in Rome to give free treatment to the poor. Some were women, specialising in woman’s illnesses. Women played a vital role in medicine. Midwives delivered babies Doctors were employed in Rome to give free treatment to the poor. Some were women, specialising in woman’s illnesses. Women played a vital role in medicine. Midwives delivered babies and became experts in women’s health. Not only was delivering babies one of their outstanding skills but female doctors also excelled in the use of herbs and charms. Most doctors had little training other than apprenticing with their senior. Some medical students learned by reading the Hippocratic Collection but this was only the wealthiest owned copies as books were very expensive. In Rome medical training for doctors was not compulsory, so anyone could call themselves a doctor. The profession became filled with freed slaves and anyone who failed at anything else.
Many did try to find effective treatments and better their reputation, some went to the extremes to con people out of their money. Some reports told of wives wanting to get rid of their husbands, so they would request the doctor to ‘put the patient out of his misery’. These murders did not happen often but they shed some light on to the state of the health care. The wealthier members of the society could afford the best. They usually had personal doctors whose experienced had proved their quality.
However, things did improve. With many wars the Romans conducted, military medicine advanced the field. Military doctors discovered new techniques for treatments and adopted those of the area they fought against. Hospitals also developed as a result of military influence. Civilian doctors worked out of the home or in storefronts.
Roman doctors treated their patients similarly to the Greeks using three main methods to treating their patients. They recommended more exercise, changes in diet or prescribed herbal medicines as ‘opposites’. Most Romans agreed with Hippocrates that people should take daily exercise to stay fit.
The most famous Roman doctor of all was Galen. Galen gained experience in medicine by working with Gladiators, in an Asclepion. He was also trained at the best schools. Galen became physician to the Emperor’s son which allowed him to write. Galen developed the ideas of Hippocrates and also developed an idea that disease was floated in the air like seeds. Galen dissected bodies in Alexandria to increase his knowledge of the human body. In Rome, however, he usually had to do with animals for his experiments. This meant that some of the detail of his work was wrong. However, much of it was precise. He proved that the brain, not the heart, controlled the body. Galen wrote sixty books which were used by medical students for over 15000 years.
From around 1200BC the use of iron and steel gave doctors stronger and sharper instruments. Greek surgeons developed good techniques for setting broken bones and in extreme conditions amputation. However, very few operations were done inside the body. One of the exceptions was the draining of the lungs, performed if a patient had pneumonia. This operation was frequently, and successfully, undertaken thanks to doctors’ careful observation of the symptoms and pattern of the illness.
Roman surgery was more advanced than the Greeks. The antiseptic turpentine was used in order to keep the hospital clean and hygienic. Roman surgical instruments were similar to those of the Greeks. Internal operations were rare as they were still risky without effective antiseptics, anaesthetics or more detailed anatomical knowledge. However there were amputations, trephining was used to relieve pain in the head and cataracts were removed from the eyes using fine needles.
Even though the Romans were not interested in theories about the causes of illness, their practical skills produced the best public health schemes yet seen anywhere in the world. This scheme did help to protect the Roman people against disease. Sewers were built to take sewage away from private houses and public toilets. Not only was the city fitted with a sewer system main towns were supplied with a fresh water supply supplied to the towns by aqueducts and brick conduits. Also all the towns had a public bath which were open to anyone for the smallest Roman coin. The baths helped people rid of fleas which spread disease. Public toilets were also built in towns. Up to twenty people at one time could be seated around the three sides of the room. Other public health measures included rules about fires and burying the dead. However, archaeologists found a sewage system and water supply ruins in palaces on the Island of Crete.
The Greek Empire had mostly small cities, less than 20,000 people which did not pose health problems. Rome had very large cities. Rome itself had a million people. A large amount of people living in a cramped area mean that disease could spread easily and quickly.
The cities in Greek times were not very centralised and each city was independent of each other. This therefore meant that ideas spread slowly. Rome was very much centralised and had an extremely strong government. There was quick communication around the Empire. Therefore new ideas and treatments could spread quickly.
Greek philosophers were famous for having ideas and theories about everything. Romans were less interested in theories. They were efficient, well organised people who liked practical solutions to an illness as well as other things.
The Greeks weren’t involved in many wars. They had only a small army for each city, which got together only when there was a war. The Roman army had hundreds of thousands of soldiers, permanently stationed all over the Empire. The Government provided the army with the best medical care as they depended on them to keep control of the Empire as they were frequently at war.
There were many wealthy people in Greek times who could afford to pay doctors to care for them. But there were even more wealthy people in Rome to pay for personal doctors.
Between Greece and Rome there were some differences in how they treated medicine. The Greeks tried to find theories and solutions. But the Romans were only interested in practical solutions. Also the Romans had developed the Public Health System. Overall I feel that the similarities out weigh the differences. They both prayed to Gods, the both had doctors and agreed with Hippocrates. They both believed in the link between health and exercise and they both used herbs and potions. The similarities in Roman medicine to Greek medicine are due to the first doctors in Rome being Greeks. The first doctors were Greeks because the Romans captured the Greek doctors and kept them prisoners of war. And the doctors had to practice medicine for the Romans. This is the reason as to why Greek and Roman medicine are very similar.
Orla Mallon 12.C
