Medicine is the science that studies diseases. This is a system of scientific knowledge and practical actions that we need to maintain health, extend people's lives, prevent or cure diseases, and alleviate the suffering of the patient.
Latin "ars medicina"Can be translated as"healing art". Preventive medicine is distinguished, the purpose of which is to prevent the appearance of various diseases in one person as well as in a group of people. In addition, there is clinical medicine, it identifies and treats various diseases, tries to prevent their reappearance.
Doctors and other medical professionals are very important for humanity, as they help to keep us healthy, give all people the opportunity to live full lives.
It is the health of a person and loved ones - the most valuable. Without it, neither luxury resorts, nor exotic dishes or other pleasures of life bring pleasure.
10 interesting facts about medicine will help you learn more about this ancient, vital science.
10. In Ancient Babylon, a doctor cruelly paid for his mistakes
Once upon a time, doctors of Babylon could pay a huge price for their medical error - their hands were cut off. However, the doctors of that time did everything to protect themselves. A limited number could enter their circle. Many texts were written in the language of the ancient Sumerians, so only a dedicated person could understand them. All drug names were encrypted, their composition was carefully hidden.
Doctors disregarded seriously ill people, moreover, they were forbidden to approach them, because it was believed that he had to die and could not recover.
Doctors of that time described the symptoms of many diseases. But most of them were priests who performed the functions of doctors, so many of them relied on prayers and incantations. They associated all their failures with the fact that the person whom they were treating paid little attention to astrology, to the gods.
Gradually, medical science was completely replaced by superstitions, magic and occultism and remained at the lowest stage of development.
9. Bloodletting was considered a universal treatment in the ancient world.
One of the most popular treatments used until the end of the 19th century was bloodletting. It was believed that by relieving a person of excess fluid in the body, many diseases can be cured.
The "excess" blood was removed using leeches, or by cutting a vein. For the last procedure, a lancet and a bowl were used, into which blood flowed. Since the XI century, it was almost the only medical procedure, because it was believed that "bad" blood was removed in this way.
Now this method of treatment is practically not used, because it only seems to give relief. In fact, it weakens the human body, depriving him of the ability to fight the disease. Thus, 47 bloodletting was done to King Louis XIII in 10 months, and, naturally, there was no talk of any recovery.
8. The Great Importance of Ginseng in Chinese Medicine
If you literally translate the Chinese word "ginseng", it will turn out "root man"Because in shape, it resembles a human figure. It began to be used in Chinese medicine more than 4 thousand years ago, and the first written mention appeared in the 1st century BC. in the essay on medicines "Shen Nong Pen Cao."
The Chinese believed that this plant can save almost all diseases, called it the most useful, capable of even resurrecting a dead person. It was believed that if you constantly take drugs from ginseng, you can lead an active life up to 100 years. He was also the strongest aphrodisiac. Previously, if a Chinese wanted to become a father for eight decades, he chewed the root of this plant daily.
7. The placebo effect and its role in medicine
A placebo is when a medicine or other treatment method works, even if it is all fake. The patient inspires himself that it is easier for him, and this helps.
The placebo effect really works, it has been proven by many studies, and it is based on the underlying mechanisms of the human subconscious..
It was first discovered in the 18th century. Then doctor Elisha Perkins treated people "Tractors". So he called small (8 cm) metal sticks, which were supposedly made of special materials, but in reality it was brass and steel. He claimed that they remove inflammation, relieve pain, you just need to apply them for 20 minutes to the sore spot. And people really got better.
Many doctors doubted that this “medicine” helps. The British doctor John Haygart decided to test and made the "tractors" from different materials, all of them helped. Then it became clear that a lot depends on thoughts and expectations, the patient felt better only because he believed in it.
6. In the ancient world, diseases were considered the punishment of the Gods
Once medicine and religion were closely interconnected. People believed that sickness is God's punishment or the result of imposing demons. If a person got better, it meant that he was forgiven. The monasteries not only helped those in need, but also healed the sick.
At the end of the tenth century, many poor people ate bread, which was baked once every few months. Ergot caused a fever. But they fought this disease in a peculiar way: prayers, procession.
There was a cult of saints, each supposedly helped from another disease. Therefore, people died early, 50-year-olds were considered to be elderly people.
5. First anesthesia - a mixture of wine and hemp
In ancient Greece, the mandrake root was used for pain relief. This is a poisonous plant that could cause death.
In ancient India, shamans used coca leaves containing cocaine. They chewed and spit on wounded soldiers. In China, hemp was used for these purposes..
In medieval Europe, if it was necessary to have surgery, the patient was hit on the head with a mallet so that he would lose consciousness.
4. Plastic surgery originated in India
In 800 BC first operations to fix nose in India, for this they took skin from the forehead and cheeks. Until the XVII century, Indian surgery was at its best, when compared with European. In Europe, only a few operations were performed, while in India they were carried out continuously.
3. Ayurveda held a high place in the medicine of ancient India
This name can be translated as "knowledge of life" or "life science". This is Indian traditional medicine, which is now considered pseudoscience. But the first medical text of this country appeared in the Vedas. It also contains the first text on the use of antibiotics (Ausadhi lichen with such properties), as well as a detailed description of human bones.
2. Pirogov first put gypsum
He has been treating fractures since ancient times. Arab doctors used clay for these purposes, in Europe they mixed camphor alcohol, whipped proteins and lead water.
Russian surgeon Karl Gibenthal first applied plaster. But it was the Russian surgeon Nikolai Ivanovich Pirogov who invented the fixing bandage. In 1847, he participated in the hostilities in the Caucasus, where he began to apply a “sticky” dressing. First he used starch, then colloidine, and finally gypsum. This invention is still used Pirogov.
1. There are several traditional symbols in medicine
Medicine has several symbols. The most common are the Red Cross and Red Crescent - Symbols of the humanitarian movement founded in 1863. The staff of Asclepius is also known.
There is a legend that the god of healing Asclepius came with a staff. A snake entwined around his staff, and he decided to kill her. Then another snake crawled in and presented the grass, which helped to resurrect her dead predecessor. Asclepius found this grass and learned to resurrect the dead.
Asclepius's daughter was Hygea (the discipline of hygiene was named after her). She was portrayed as a young woman feeding a snake from a bowl. Later, the snake and the bowl became one of the symbols of medicine.