Ancient medicine--a review.
Different aspects of medicine and/or healing in several societies are presented. In the ancient times as well as today medicine has been closely related to magic, science and religion. Various ancient societies and cultures had developed different views of medicine. It was believed that a human being has two bodies: a visible body that belongs to the earth and an invisible body of heaven. In the earliest prehistoric days, a different kind of medicine was practiced in countries such as Egypt, Greece, Rome, Mesopotamia, India, Tibet, China, and others. In those countries, "medicine people" practiced medicine from the magic to modern physical practices. Medicine was magical and mythological, and diseases were attributed mostly to the supernatural forces. The foundation of modern medicine can be traced back to ancient Greeks. Tibetan culture, for instance, even today, combines spiritual and practical medicine. Chinese medicine developed as a concept of yin and yang, acupuncture and acupressure, and it has even been used in the modern medicine. During medieval Europe, major universities and medical schools were established. In the ancient time, before hospitals had developed, patients were treated mostly in temples.
Zuskin
Eugenija
E
Andrija Stampar School of Public Health School of Medicine, University of Zagreb, Rockefellerova 4, Zagreb, Croatia. ezuskin@snz.hr
Lipozencić
Jasna
J
Pucarin-Cvetković
Jasna
J
Mustajbegović
Jadranka
J
Schachter
Neil
N
Mucić-Pucić
Branka
B
Neralić-Meniga
Inja
I
D018643:Arab World; D001208:Asia; D003469:Culture; D005060:Europe; D018645:Greek World; D049690:History, Ancient; D006761:Hospitals / Q000266:history*; D006801:Humans; D018644:Roman World; D012586:Science / Q000266:history*