Aesculapius, the ancient Greek god of healing, was considered a master of medicine and surgery, believed to have the power to restore life. He utilized natural therapies and a unique method of treatment that involved a spiritual journey for patients, culminating in prayer and incubation sleep for divine intervention. His legacy includes the establishment of aesculapions, temples dedicated to healing that served as medical centers and contributed to the foundations of alternative medicine.

1. HISTORY OF
NATUROPATHY

2. AESCULAPIUS THE CHIEF HEALING
GOD OF ANCIENT GREECE

3. Introduction
 Aesculapius was the ancient Greek god of
healing and famous physician. He was
considered as HEAVENLY GOD or as
URANIAN GOD.
 Aesculapius was usually represented standing,
dressed in a long cloak, with bare breast; his
usual attribute was a staff with a serpent coiled
around it. Today it represents the modern
medical profession, and is a symbol of health
and wisdom.

4. Personal life
 Born in : 13th century
 Birthplace : Epidaurus
 Father : Apollo
 Mother : Coronis
 Wife : Epione

5.  Chirion educated Aesculapius in the healing art.
 Aesculapius became skilled in Surgery.
 He started using healing medicinal plants, and is
believed that he could even restore the dead to
life.
 He had many mythological sons and daughters
of which Panacea and Hygeia gave rise to
dynasty curative medicine and prevention)

6. His healing power
 His healing power was so strong, that he started to raise
people from the dead.
 One of his healing talents was treatment through
touch.
 One of his patients had a deformation of the hand;
Aesculapius restored the functions of hand by stroking
the deformed area.
 Aesculapius can be viewed as a founder of now so
called alternative medicine, which in his time was
considered as traditional.
 He treated mentally ill patients though his healing
power.

7. Method of treatment
 Aesculapius used different natural therapeutic
modalities.
 For the patients, there was a long journey with its hope
and strivings.
 After reaching the temple the patients was subjected to
careful purification by bathing, and incantation.
 Some time patient was placed on rigorous diet.
 Finally the patient was brought before an image of the
god
 Aesculapius. Here the patient prayed with emotional
fervors, for help and relief.
 Then he was prepared for sleep.

8. Method of treatment
 Prayers were said, sacrifices were offered, and lamps
were extinguished.
 INCUBATION SLEEP was practiced.
 It was believed that during sleep the soul depart from
the body and communicates with the divine being in
the spirit world.
 He believed to be imbued with the powers of sending
dreams through snakes.
 Serpents were allowed to crawl among the sleeping
patients.
 Then the patient was treated in accordance with the
nature of the ailment and dreams.
 A description of the ailment and its cure was placed on
the wall of the temple

9. Method of treatment

10. His temple and staff
 Temples of healing known as Aesculapions were
erected throughout Greece, where the sick would come
to worship and seek cures for their ills.
 His followers established temples called Aesculapions,
temples of Aesculapius, temples of healing.
 In 5th century BC Sophocles built a temple to
Aesculapius in Athens.
 By 4th century BC over 300 Aesculapion temples
served as medical centers equally, devoted to healing as
to the worship of their god.
 The practice of sleeping in his temple became
common.
 One of the most beautiful of surviving temples to
Aesculapius is at Epidaurus.

11. His temple and staff
 Aesculapius is traditionally
represented holding a staff
with his sacred serpent
coiled around it. This staff
is the true symbol of
medicine.
 The similar symbol of a
staff with two snakes and
surrounded by wings
seems to have replaced the
staff of Aesculapius as a
symbol for the medical
profession.