Roman Medicine

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Ideas about causes of disease

Four Humors - theroy was devloped by Hippocrates in ancient Greece (adopted by the . Theory suggested the body was made up of blood, black bile, yellow bile and phlegm. Imbalance of these substances caused illness. Hippocrates recommened bleeding or purging to balance the humours again

Punishment of the Gods - Romans had strong religious beliefs. Viewed disease as a punishment from the Gods or the result of curses. They built temples to their Gods e.g. Asclepius (god of healing) and prayed to the Gods for a cure

Bad Air (miasma) - Built settlements away from swamps, believed bad air and smells could cause sickness. This theory continued up until the 19th century

Work of Galen

Roman

Used his medical training to operate on gladiator wounds

Performed public dissections (of animals as human dissection was banned) and medical lecturs

Became emporers doctor

His medical ideas became the most important in Rome

His theory of opposites was built on Hippocrates idea of the four humours

For example too much phelgm suggested the illness was caused by cold, so the treatment would be its opposite - a hot ingrediant such as a pepper

He did dissections to learn about the inner workings of the huan body. Couldn't dissect humans so he dissected animals - pigs and monkeys - but some of his conclusions about humans were correct

Galens books about dissections formed the basis of medical knowledge until the Rennaissance