Even when in modern times this theory has been proven to be incorrect, it was a good start to make doctors investigate the cause of diseases instead of just thinking the gods did it. The theory dominated medical treatments for centuries. The theory of the four humours also led the Greeks to do everything in moderation like not to eat too much and to exercise sometimes, which did make them healthy.
The theory of the four humours could only been thought of through observations and recording them. This proves that observing and recording was being used at ancient Greece because the theory of the four humours could have only bee thought of through observation and recording them. These notes can give two advantages. Doctors were more likely to find the right cure by looking at their notes and coming up with the cure of the illness. The notes could also be used to help with the diagnosis and treatments with future illnesses. This was very important as a scientific approach on to find more about medicine. So with this method, medical progression can be made. Their were books of Greek doctor's observations and discoveries of medicine, which shows that the method of observing and recording was being used at the Greek period, and so with this method medical progression was happening at that time.
Hippocrates, the most famous doctor in Ancient Greece, helped with the progression of medicine in that time. He's the one who developed the theory of the four humours. He encouraged people to search for natural causes and treatments of illnesses rather than going to the gods and seeking their help. The Hippocratic Collection was a collection of books containing detailed information about medicine. This collection was the basis of doctors own work for hundred of centuries. Hippocrates also developed the Hippocratic oath that is still used today; this oath gave confidence in patience. It also keeps the doctor to be high standards of treatment and behaviour and to work for the benefit of patients rather than to make themselves rich. Hippocrates showed how important observing and recording the symptoms and development of diseases, as mentioned before. Hippocrates played a huge part in the progression of medical knowledge in the Greek times.
From observing, Greek doctor knew that many diseases cleared up on their own and so they simply gave advice to their patience how their disease might develop (a prognosis). They also offered advice on avoiding illness altogether, they would tell them on what to eat, on taking exercises, and on keeping clean. Helping and giving advice as mentioned will keep patients healthy. Knowledge of diseases clearing up on their own was a progression made at the Greek period.
Wartime wounds is another factor that did help progression. Every war there would be soldiers who are wounded and are needed for treatment. This would give doctors more opportunity to observe the effect that wounds have on the human body and experiment with different kind of treatments. It would help doctors learn about anatomy.
The use of iron and steel was involved in the medical progression. Doctors were given the sharper and stronger instruments from the metals mentioned. This helped the Greek developed good techniques for surgery. The draining of the lungs performed only when the patient has pneumonia was performed frequently and successfully.
There are treatments in the Greek period which can help patient, which is a medical progress. An example of a treatment used in the Greek period that did help is the treatment of a wound, the Greeks would 'wash the wound with wine or vinegar - a basic antiseptic procedure apparently ignored in Egypt. Sometimes they bandaged wounds with linen soaked with wine'. This example proves that there are treatments in Ancient Greece that did help patients.
The true story of Hagnodice, the girl who disguised herself as a man to learn about medicine, led to the law that any freeborn women could learn the science of medicine. With this law, there were the first professional female doctors. With women doctors available, female patients had the confidence to get help from other female doctors. This would help the knowledge of health of females, and so progression is made.
Alexandria was the centre of new medical ideas. The Greeks built a university and a library there. Eager medical students from all around the Mediterranean would go there and learn the arts of medicine. The influence that Alexandria gave to the world was effective for the progression of medicine. It helped with gathering different ideas from different people from different places. The library collected writings not only from Greeks writers, but also from doctors from India, China, Egypt and Mesopotamia. And it even brought medical students into making fascinating discoveries like Galen, who became the most famous doctor in the Roman Empire. The Greeks made what Alexandria is; this is a good medical progression.
Alexandria was also a place where Greek doctors were allowed to carry out dissection. Dissection led to major discoveries. Herophilus discovered that the brain controls the body, that there is a difference between arteries and nerves, and that he identified parts of the stomach, such as duodenum, and prostate. Dissection also almost led to the discover of how the heart acted as a pump to pump blood, but the idea wasn't accepted and developed until it was proved to be correct after 1800 years.
Even when much progression was being made in the Greek times, there were also things that they did that they didn't lead to progression. There were things the Greeks did that didn't lead to progression, which were caused by the Greek people but not the Greek doctors. One of the things that the Greek people did that didn't lead to progression is that many of them still believe that God and magic can heal and cause diseases. With people still believing in this, they wouldn't bother searching for the real natural cause and treatment of diseases. This definitely effected the pace of progression.
Another thing that effected the pace of progression was that most cases were not treated by professional doctors. Instead, the bulk of medical was probably handled by wives and women at home by using herbs and remedies which had been handed down by their ancestors. The reason why most cases was handled by them is because the majority of people in Greece couldn't afford doctors, so instead they would get help by their wives or other women. If they did get help from the doctors, the doctors would have more opportunity to observe certain diseases and experiment with different kind of cures.
The problem with Greek doctors is that they thought that dissecting dead bodies was wrong. If they did dissect dead bodies, they would learn a lot from it. If doctors in Greece were allowed to perform dissection, discoveries would have come sooner and progression would have been made. But that didn't happen.
The Greek Empire wasn't very centralised- each city was independent. This slowed down the medical progression because ideas would have spread slowly. Doctors from different cities wouldn't be able to discuss ideas more quickly or ever do. If different doctors could discuss ideas more efficiently, they would have come out with conclusions to a certain idea that made the most sense.
If people accepted and developed Erasistratus idea, a great discovery would have occurred. But it was until another 1800 years before his idea about the heart acting as a pump was proved to be correct. If Greek doctors would have accepted and developed his idea, a big progression would have been made at that time.
Obviously, modern people now know that the theory of the four humours is wrong. Even when it was a good start as an explanation of causes of diseases and that gods has nothing to do with diseases, it still sort of held back progression. If it didn't dominate medical knowledge too much, other theories that may have been the real correct one would have been more easily accepted and developed.
The medical library in Alexandria was burnt in AD391. If only the library was there, medical students would have the opportunity to research and developed their own theories. But the library is destroyed, and so it would have slowed medical progression.
The only medical progress that the Romans did but not the Greeks is that the Romans had a government concerned with health and so has a public health policies. The Greeks didn't have this, if the did their people would have a more healthy lifestyle.
It is clear that progression was being made in the Greek times. Even when there were things that held back progression, the Greeks still discovered a lot of things. It is considered a progress when there are practicing Greek doctors because they want to progress and improve their knowledge. Medical equipment has been improved. There were the first professional female doctors for the first time. The Greek build a university and library helping people coming up and develop there own ideas, this is a big progression. Some of their theories may be wrong, like the four humours, but minds like theirs is what the world need for finding answers about medicine. They had theories for everything, it doesn't matter if it is right or wrong theories, as long as there are people who are in search for answers. That will definitely lead to progression, and so it is progress on it's own.
