This document provides an overview of the history of medicine from prehistoric times to ancient Greece. It discusses early medical practices during the Stone Age when illness was believed to be caused by evil spirits. Ancient medical traditions are then outlined for India, China, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Greece. For each tradition, the document describes prominent medical figures, common medical beliefs, treatments such as herbal remedies and surgery, and important medical texts. The overall aim is to understand the development of medicine over 5000 years and its impact on human health.

1. Seminar
presentation
Presenter:-Dr.Swikriti.Koirala
DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY
MEDICINE
NGMC-4TH BATCH MD 1st yr

2. HISTORY OF
MEDICINE

3. CONTENTS
 INTRODUCTION
 PREHISTORIC MEDICINE (Stone Age)
 ANCIENT MEDICINE
1. INDIAN MEDICINE (5000BC)
2. CHINESE MEDICINE(2700BC)
3. EGYPTIAN MEDICINE (2000BC)
4. MESOPOTAMINE MEDICINE(2000BC)
5. GREEK MEDICINE (460BC)

4. INTRODUCTION
DEFINATION OF HEALTH:-
According to WHO , “Health is a state of complete physical ,mental and social well being and not merely an
absence of disease or infirmity”.
Recently it include the ability to lead a “socially and economically productive life”.
DEFINATION OF DISEASE:-
According to Oxford Engish Dictionary , “Disease is a condition of a body or some part or organ of the body in which
its function are disrupted or deranged.”
DEFINATION OF ILLNESS:-
It is a subjective state of the person who feels aware of not feeling well.
DEVELOPMENT STUDY:-
Change over long period of time.
AIMS OF STUDYING HISTORY OF MEDICINE:-
TO KNOW THE change in history of medicine over 5000 years---- from about 3000 BC to present day and the effect of
medicine on people’s health during that period to till now.

5. PREHISTORIC
 Prehistory refers since the beginning of universe.
 In this period there were no written evidence of medical practice.
 They believe that cause of death are evil sprit and anger ancestors.
 They don’t know about the existence of medicine just know that human being get born and dies one day.
DISEASE
INFECTION POOR DIET
WAR
People die due
to

6. Medical knowledge and beliefs
Study finding have to rely on the finding of
archaeologist and Aborigines.
Aborigines is mostly seen in Australia, those people whose
lifestyles have not changed for thousands of years. By
examining their beliefs and practices we can get an insight
into prehistoric life.

7. Aboriginal beliefs and treatments
 People follow their traditional culture believe that everyone has their own spirit inside themselves. If a
person becomes ill, it is because their spirit has left them, or an evil spirit has entered their body.
• Medicine Man who knows all about spirits and releases the spirit
from body and patient is cured.
• People wear charms to keep evil spirits away, and buried their cut-
off nails and hair and their excrement, probably to prevent spirits
casting spells on them.
• They even use herbal medicine to cure illness and disease
• Prehistoric people understood that some medical problems were the
result of natural causes, and would treat the problems using natural
remedies.
• Problem was believed to have supernatural causes

8. SURGERY

9. ANCIENT PERIOD(5000BC-499AD)
 Health and illness were interpreted in a cosmological and anthropological perspective.
 Medicine was dominated by magical and religious beliefs .
 Henry Siegerist stated that every culture had developed a system of medicine
 Dubos says that ancient medicine was the mother of sciences and played a large role in the integration of
early culture.

10. Indian medicine(5000BC)
Medical system that are truly Indian origin are :-
1. Ayurveda and
2. Siddha System(South Asia)
3. Other system of traditional medicine that came in India are Unani-Tibb and Homoeopathy
According to Ayurveda , God of medicine known as Dhanvantari.
Knowledge of Atharvanaveda is Ayurveda science.
(ITS ORIGIN IS TRACED FAR BACK TO THE VEDIC TIME , ABOUT 5000 BC)
IN ancient India , authorities in Ayurvedic medicine were Atreya , Charaka, Susrata and Vaghbatt .
Atreya(800 B.C):-1st Indian physician and teacher
Charaka(200 A.D):-He compiled various disease,there diagnosis by observation and treatment by herbal medicine in ,
“CHARAKA SAMHITA” mention 500 drugs.
Susruta(800B.C TO 400 A.D):-Father of Indian surgery. He compiled surgical knowledge at his time kla”SUSRUTA
SAMHITA” Which not only include surgery but also medicine ,pathology, anatomy, midwifery, ophthalmology hygiene
and bedside manner.

11. AYURVEDA:-yoga , massage ,diet , purification regimen , breathing exercise ,meditation and herbs are know to be
used at this time.
Significance in Ayurveda is the “tridosha theory of disease” which include vata(wind),pitta(gall) and kapha (mucus).
Equilibrium perfect balance between these 3 humor , then a person is said to be healthy.
Mohenjo-daro and Harappa reveal advance knowledge of sanitation,
Water supply and engeneering.
Law of Manu were a code of personal hygiene.
SHIDDHA SYSTEM:-oldest system in India
leterature is in tamil so practiced mostly in tamil speaking place
therapeutic in nature
system believes that all object in universe including human body are of 5 basic elements i.e,
earth , fire, water, air and sky.

12.  Unani-Tibb system:-IT was introduced into India by the Muslim rulers about 10th century AD.
 It is similar as Ayurveda beside the curative aspect, Unani medicine used for the promotion of health
and rejuvenation of vigor.
HOMOEOPATHY:-was propounded by Samuel Hahnemann of Germany introduced in India (1810 and 1839)
It is a system of pharmacodynamics based on “treatment of disease by use of small amounts of drugs that in
healthy person produces symptom similar to those of the disease being treated”

13. Chinese medicine(2700 BC)
 World’s first organized body of medical knowledge.
 God of Chinese medicine “Shennong”
 It is based on two principal –the Yang and the Yin
 Chinese doctor attempted to make diagnosis by studying the state of the pulse k/a sphygmology.
 Hygiene, hydrotherapy , massage , drugs were used by physician.
 They think Heart was consider place of wisdom and judgement while
Liver and lung associated with soul.
 Chinese were early pioneer of immunization and they practiced variolation to prevent smallpox.
 Great faith in traditional herb.
 Chinese system of “Barefoot doctors” and accupuncture is well known throughout the world.

14. Egyptian Medicine(2000BC)
 EGYPT is one of the oldest civilization .
 Invented picture writing and record their doing on papyrus.
 Evil gods and demons where responsible for disease.
 People were amulet to ward off evil.
 Prist was the one who use to treat the illness at ancient period.
 Temple were use a place of workships ,medical school and hospital.
 Mummification of body leds to increased understanding of anatomy of disease.
 HESY RE Was the 1st physician and also did oral surgery for the 1st time.

15.  They believed that disease was due to absorption from the intestine of harmful substance which give rise to
putrefaction of blood and formation of pus.
 They believe pulse ‘the speed of the heart”
 Disease was treated with cathartics ,enema, blood letting and wide range of drugs
.
 Best medical manuscript belonging
during Egypt time are :-
Edwin Smith Papyrus(3000-2500BC)
Ebers papyrus(1150BC)
 EDWIN SMITH PAPYRUS:-
Oldest treatise on surgery ,give information about injury and wound, there prognosis and treatment accurately
describes partial paralysis following cerebral leisons in skull fractures.
 Ebers Papyrus :-
was found with the mummy on the banks of the Nile ,is a ubique record of some 800 prescriptions based on 700
drugs(castor oils , tannic acid ,opium , turpentine , gentian ,senna , minerials and root drugs)
It give information mainly medical includes various disease ,drug driscriptions.it cover disease of abdomen , eyes ,skin
.lists cough treatments and list herbal , medical and animals remedies.

16. Disease reported in papyri are worms, eye disease, diabetes,rheumatic , polio and schistosomiasis(still
present in modern Egypt)
They had also some knowledge against smallpox, benefit of mosquito net and the association between
plaque and rat.
IMHOTEP
Was very famous he was an architect, prist, builder of step pyramind and physician.His saying were later
recorded and preserved
Ancient believe that he had great healing power and
Was founder of medicine.
He was known as “God of Medicine”
There were eye doctor, head doctor and tooth doctor during this period of time.
HOMER :- “GOD OF HEALTH”

17. MESOPOTAMINE(2000BC)
 Land which lies between the two rivers name “Euphrates and Tigris river”k/a Aljazirah
 Mesopotamine (Now part of Iraq),often called the “Cradle of civilization “
 People believe on supernatural beings
 In ancient mesopotamine ,basic concept of medicine where religious , taught
 and practice by herb doctor , knife doctor and spell doctor.
 Geomancy, the interpretation of dreams and hepatoscopic diviation are characteristic af there medical lore.
 Sumerians, Babylonians and Assyrians were author of medical astrology.
 Priscription was written on tablet in cuniform writing invented by sumerians.
 The oldest medical prescription come from mesopotamine (2100BC)

18.  BABYLONIAN CODE OF HUMMURABI :-
Laws relating to medical practice , include fee payable to physician for satisfactory service and penalties
for harmful .

19. Greek medicine(1500BC)
 Greek made a distinction between therapeutic medicine and preventive medicine.
 People believe on demons and deities.
 In past it consist of prayers and sacrifice
 The early leader of Greek medicine was Aesculpus(1200BC)
 Aesculpius two daughters:-Hygiea and Panacea
 Hygiea was worshipped as the goddess of health and Panacea as the goddess of medicine
 Panacea and Hygiea give rise to dynasties of healer (curative medicine)and hygienist (preventive medicine).
 Hygiea (prevention)is at present fashionable among the intellectualbut pancea was crush.

20.  HIPPOCRATE(460-370 B.C):- “Father of Medicine”
He studied and classified disease based on observation and reasoning.
He challenged the tradition of magic in medicine,and initiate a new approach to medicine i.e,application of clinical
method in medicine.
His lectures and writing are compiled in form of all time classic “Corpus Hippocraticum”.It contain description of many
disease.
He is also known for his book “air , water and places” is considered a treatise on social medicine and hygiene.
He study the effect of various environment factor like Air ,water etc, on human health.
Hippocrates was also an epidemiologist. He distingished between disease which were epidemic and endemic.
They rejected the natural history of disease and looked upon disease as a natural process.
The greek believed that matter made up of four elements –earth ,air, fire and water
They represented in body by the four humor –phlegum, yellow bile, blood and black bile.

21. ROMAN MEDICINE(130A.D)
 By the 1st century BC the center of civilization shifted to ROME.
 Brought their medicine from Greek and were more practical minded people than GREEK.
 Knee sense of sanitation.
 Public health was born in Rome with development of baths, sewers and aqueducts.
 Rome made fine roads, brought pure water ,drained marshes to combact malaria ,built sewage system
and establish hospital for sick people.

22.  Galen was Romen medical teacher and was physician to Roman emperor.
 His contribution were in field of comparative anatomy and experimental
physiology.
 He state that health precedes disease , so we should be concerned how health
may be preserved and how one may best cure disease.
 Galen observed the disease is due to 3 factor –predisposing , exciting and
environment a truly modern idea.
 Galen was literally a”medical dictator of his time”.

23. REFERENCE
 K.PARK(25TH EDITION)
 GN PRABHAKARA (Short textbook of preventive and social medicine) 2nd
edition

24. THANK YOU