The document summarizes the historical epochs and periods of medical knowledge from primitive society to the modern age. It divides primitive history into three periods: the formation of primitive society from 2 million years ago to 40,000 years ago; the blossoming of primitive society from 40,000 years ago to the 4th millennium BC; and the decomposition of primitive society from the 4th millennium BC to the 1st millennium BC. It also discusses the evolution of human genus and society through anthropogeny and sociogeny, and the origins and early forms of medical knowledge in primitive societies.

2. Periodization and chronology of a
world history
Historical Chronological Duration Regions of Character of
epoch frameworks the Earth medical
knowledge
Primitive ~2 million years ~2 million All, except Primitive
society ago – 5-4 years Antarctica healing
millenium BC
The ancient 5-4 millenium BC ~4000 years Europe, Asia National and
world – the middle of 1st traditional
millenium AD medicine
The Middle 476 - middle of ~1200 years Europe, Asia Traditional
Ages 17th century medicine
New time Middle of 17th ~300 years Europe Scientific and
century- 1918 traditional
medicine
The modern 1918-20.. ~100 years Europe, Asia, Scientific
Age America medicine

3.  The period which we will discuss, began more 25
million years ago and is stretched before formation of
the first civilizations in IV millenium BC is 99 % of all
history of mankind.
 This period is characterized by two important
processes – an anthropogeny and sociogeny
 Anthropogeny – the long period of evolution of the
Man as biological species Homo.
 Sociogeny – process of formation of a human society

4. Anthropogeny stages
Period Group or species Characteristics Region
12 millions years Hominids "Hominid triad" Equatorial Africa (?)
ago
~ 3,5 millions Homo habilis Use of the elementary Area of Great African
years ago tools lakes
~2 millions Homo erectus Manufacturing of Area of Great African
years ago tools lakes
Rudimental speech
(?)
~ 150 thousands Homo sapiens Fire use, constant Africa, Southern and
years ago neanderthalensis dwellings, clothes, Middle Europe,
religion Middle East and
Southern Asia
~40 thousands Homo sapiens Perfection of All, except Antarctica
years ago sapiens (Cro- manufacturing
Magnon man) techniques of tools
Magic, myths

5. Periodization and chronology of
primitive history
Three periods are allocated to the history of a primitive society
:
 Formation of a primitive society (antenatal society) - 2 million
years ago - 40 thousand years ago. The primitive human herd
concerns the given period (precommunity).
Archaeological epoch of the given period: an early and middle
paleolith.
 Blossoming of a primitive society (matrilineal clan) 40 thousand
years ago - 4th millenium BC
The period is characterized by an communal-patrimonial system.
Archaeological epoch: a late paleolith, mesolit, a neolith.
 Decomposition of a primitive society (patriarchy, late matriarchy)
– 4th millenium BC - 1st millenium BC

6. Evolution of a human genus and society
(антропосоциогенез)
Preconditions :
 а) The role of work was underlined by the Australian scientists far
from Marxism, J.Linnert in his book "Cultural history" (1886-1887).
Cultural history – history of that work which led mankind from a
low and disastrous condition to the height which is occupied now.
Democritus (6 centuries BC) – “people were taught all by struggle
for existence”.
 b) Biological aspect. "Hominid triad": development of Bipedal gait,
the free hand, development of a brain.
 c) The anthropogeny period is characterized by bridling of "a
zoological individual". It is one of the most important conditions
of sociogeny. Democritus and Epicurus spoke about domination of
animal instincts and their overcoming in an extreme antiquity.
Later Lucretius wrote about it in his "De rerum natura".

7.  The initial form of a primitive society - "primitive human
herd" (precommunity) - a transition period from zoological
association to the generated society. With its occurrence
have begun :
1. Formation and development of social relations,
2. Struggle aggravation between egoistical and collectivist
forms of behaviour. Instincts were one of base lines of
struggle of the biological and social beginnings: food,
sexual, as especially strongly pronounced. The conflicts,
braking development of social relations were defined by
sexual rivalry which was inevitable in the conditions of
promiscuity.

8. Bridling of zoological instincts is well traced on
evolution of marriage from its group forms to a
pair monogamous family.
 Promiscuity - the form of a child-bearing based on
independent, disorder sexual relations.
 Endogamous marriage.
 Exogamous marriage.

9. Theories of origin of exogamous marriage.
 Exogamy - means of regulation of relations,
maintenance of unity of the social world in human
collective.
 Exogamy - A basis of sexual taboos - the first
medical-hygienic interdictions.
 Exogamy - Means of an establishment and
fastening of communications between separate
collectives of primitive people. (Taylor)

10. Sources of knowledge of primitive
culture and medicine
 Archeology: tools, hunting, dwellings, sanctuaries, burials.
Dwellings of the primitive man.
 Paleontology. Bone remains of ancient people bear on
themselves traces of traumas, trepanations, a
tuberculosis, tumours, an osteomyelitis, a rickets, a syphilis
etc.
 Average life expectancy of the person made 20-26 years. In
later period (about 100 thousand years ago) average life
expectancy has increased (till 40 years lived 1 of 100
persons) so was till an epoch of the Middle Ages.

11. Medical knowledge of Paleolithic
man
The main differences from instinctive behavior of
animals:
 Treatment of other representatives of a kind;
 Life preservation to old and crippled fellow tribesmen.
 Applied techniques:
 Treatment by simples;
 Treatment of traumas and wounds (suture)
 Sources of knowledge of doctoring:
 Observation of animals, personal and group experience
 Information sources:
 Archaeological («flower people», Shanidar)

12. Origins of Medicine.
The first medical-hygienic skills.
1. Struggle for the existence, based on the actions programmed
in a genofund. (Animals, prepeople).
- Self-preservation instinct.
2. Medcal-hygienic activity of the human - the form of public
practice based on comprehension of necessity of mutual aid
also represents a complex of a conscious activity, is based on
experience and knowledge.
The first medical-hygienic skills are connected with formed
by medicine appears, in the middle of Mousterian time (100-
80 thousand years ago)
 а) Formation of morphological lines of people.
 б) Formation of economic-household relations.
 в) Formation of the language, the first representations about
world around.
 г) Creation of instruments of production.

13.  Surgical receptions: amputation, crises, overlaying of
seams, obstetric aid, castration, Cesarean section. Use
of simples, means of an animal origin.
 Hygienic constructions: dwellings with the hearths,
near to sources with running water, avoidance to lodge
in boggy places. There were the clothes, first
installations of the personal hygiene, first burials.

14. Totem, its essence and communication
with medicine
"Totem" - my genus.
Base points of sight on totemism:
 Totemism - the collective representations
influencing formation and development of human
culture, medicine.
 In the ethnographic literature "Totemism" - the
archaic form of religion - a complex of beliefs, the
ceremonies based on representations about close
related communication of any group of people (a
sort, a tribe) with a certain animal, a plant, a
subject.

15.  Animism (anima - soul) - belief in spiritual
entities: spirits, demons, forces, the nature, soul of
the live and dead person. (Taylor). There is a fear
of the dead.
 Animism: evolution of representations about a
soul. Two groups of biological questions:
1. communication and difference of a live and dead
body,
2. dreams and merge of representations about life
and a phantom – an illusive soul.

16.  The theory of an animism :
1. Existence of soul after death
2. Spirits, gods (subordinating to itself and submission)
 Soul place: heart, blood, an eye. (Disappearance of a
pupillary image). Spirit, breath, life - soul. Concept
about a soul as breath - in Semitic (Jewish) and Aryan
etymology.
Sources of an animism are:
• Witchcraft,
• Sorcery that is magic ceremonies, and have a direct
bearing on magic medicine and magic.

17. Spirituality and medicine.
 Instinct of parental self-preservation. (Dolphins of
wounded relatives hold on a surface)
 Ability to empathize
 Communication with totemism and fetishism.
• Fetishism – dwellings of mythical beings – a concentration
of magic, demonic manpower.
• Fetishes were perceived by people as patrons and defenders
from enemies.
• Fetishes demanded to themselves more careful and difficult
reference than to other subjects.

18. MAGIC AND MAGIC MEDICINE
 Magic - the phenomenon of the mind which has arisen at
the primitive person, remained till now, affected on all
spheres of culture: religion, a science, art, medicine.
 1. The modern dictionaries: "magic" - the ceremonies
connected with belief in supernatural ability of the person
to influence people and natural phenomena.
 2. Magic – ideology and the outlook of the primitive person
connecting irrational and rational, a stage of development
of consciousness, that united later science and religion.

19.  Magic practice (ceremonies, dances, songs, spells) -
result of comprehension of the exclusive position in
the nature.
 Sensation of fear and powerlessness will appear then
when there is a religion, leadership, the power and an
inequality. The person lost belief in elemental forces.
 Remained:
 1) belief in domination over the nature,
 2) belief in reserve possibilities of the person,
 3) ability to use the biological possibilities and mental
energy for influence on other people and the
environmental nature.
 These three parameters also are the cores of "magic
medicine".