Medicine About All Have you been to the doctor lately Did the doctor ask any questions or run any tests Did she ask about your symptoms and look into your throat or ears Medicine is the science of healing It is the diagnosis treatment and prevention of diseases It also focuses on the promotion of health But medicine didn’t always focus on these areas Medicine has a history that goes back to prehistoric times Back then people didn’t know what caused diseases They believed gods or spirits caused people to get sick Scientific knowledge increased very slowly over hundreds of years
Medical advancements started occurring more quickly in the late 1800s Scientists discovered new treatments such as antibiotics and vaccines They also invented x-ray machines and other tools that helped doctors treat patients Today’s scientists and doctors continue to develop new drugs instruments and medical procedures Diseases that carried a death sentence just decades ago are now treatable But scientists think we can push further and find better treatments or even cures for many diseases Teamwork is important in the medical field Doctors nurses and other hospital staff work together to provide the best care for patients
1 Chapter Early Medicine The history of medicine goes back many thousands of years Ancient people believed major diseases were caused by gods or other supernatural forces The first doctors were known as medicine men or shamans They were thought to be witches or sorcerers Instead of using science and medicine they tried to cure illnesses with potions and spells One procedure that ancient people practiced was trepanning In trepanning a hole was made in the skull This process was thought to release the supernatural being causing the symptoms Researchers have found many skulls that show evidence of trepanning People may have lived for years after it was done to them Medical skills and practices varied according to region and religion But by about 2000 BCE doctors from Egypt to China had strong medical knowledge Egyptian doctors had advanced knowledge of organs and bone structures The Chinese used ginseng and other plants to treat illnesses
Historians have learned much about ancient Egyptian medical practices from art Drawings and carvings show medical tools including bone saws hooks needles scissors and knives As time went on medicine shifted from supernatural to scientific Ancient Greek philosophers drew on science to explain illness and create new treatments The leading voice in Greek medicine was Hippocrates also known as the Father of Medicine
