This article is updated from our archive. Ancient Medicine There has been much evidence found that shows that the ancients may have had advanced procedures in some areas of medicine. There is even evidence that shows there were brain operations being conducted and the patients actually lived after surgery. In some areas medicines were discovered that were actually the fore runners of some of the medicines we use today. I remember an interview that was conducted with a native American medicine man. He was asked how come the American Indians had discovered so much beneficial medicines? His reply was that over thousands of years, when people got sick, they would try different plants and herbs. He said that sometimes the people would die but sometimes they would get better. It was a matter of trial and error but over time they were able to figure out which of these plants and herbs were beneficial. It is one thing to experiment with plants and herbs but it is an entirely different thing to experiment with surgery. The problem with surgery and the ancient peoples of earth is it may not have been used for the right reasons. Much of ancient culture was driven by religious beliefs. There was a much greater chance someone would operate on your head to let out the evil spirits than to operate on you to cure a medical problem. One of the most important discoveries pertaining to the practice of medicine in ancient Egypt, is what was known as the Edwin Smith Papyrus. It was found between the legs of a mummy and purchased in 1862. It is now in the possession of the New York Historical society. Another papyrus pertaining to ancient medical procedures was also purchased by Smith in 1862, it is known as the Eber’s Papyrus. Again, it is said this papyrus was also found entombed with a mummy. What makes this medical papyrus so unusual is it is 110 pages long. It contains sections on diseases of the stomach and deals with intestinal parasites. It has another section on diseases of the skin and treatments. Next there are sections of diseases of the anus and digestive tract. There is a long list of different medicines to be used for different ailments. We have seen that the Egyptians of old were certainly not ignorant and did conduct medical treatments. As for their surgery, there has been evidence found in the form of skulls that show that brain surgery was conducted and since some skulls were found with further brain surgery on the same person, we know that the patients survived the first surgery. Even when there was only one surgery, skulls have been found where the surgery was completely healed showing that the patient survived. Were the Egyptians the only ancient people that actually treated people medically? Certainly not. First of all, the ancient Greeks placed a strong emphasis on healthy life style. Medical practice was conducted mainly by the cult of Asciepios. The ancient Greeks made major strides in the study of medicine. Hippocrates and his followers, for the first time, studied the causes of disease not just the symptoms. The medicine of ancient Greece is what modern medicine is based upon. Of course, we are talking about the Greek medicine after the 6th century BC because before that, Greek medicine was based on supernatural practices. It is amazing, in the Iliad, wounded Greek soldiers were treated by doctors. This was almost 1,000 years before Christ. There has been a discovery on the Aegean Island of Chios of a skull showing a survivor of brain surgery. It seems that the ancient Greeks were also capable of this procedure. The question is, was it for supernatural reasons or to cure the patient medically. The Greek method was simply observing the symptoms and recording them in order to treat the patient. The Romans also made advancements in medicine. Many of the tools (instruments) that the Romans used to extract arrows and such look exactly like what is used today in modern operations. I am talking about things like skin retractors. Roman medicine was based upon the medicine of the Greeks. The Roman method was to use the Greek method but include prayers and offerings. The Romans worshiped Aesculapius, the god of healing. Roman hygiene and fresh water led to relatively good health for Romans. In Rome most doctors were viewed as cheats and phonies and didn't garner much respect. Military medicine was the exception. Because of all the wars Rome was always engaged in, military medicine advanced along with surgical practices. The Romans became proficient at some surgeries and had a success rate for hernia operations that almost equaled ours today. They even conducted plastic surgery. There is a report that the ear lobes of an individual were successfully repaired after becoming misshapen because of wearing heavy earrings for many years. The Romans also conducted brain surgery to relieve pressure on the brain from head injuries. It is said there was a high survival rate. This is amazing since no anesthetic was used. When we talk about ancient medicine it is hard to know which medicine is the oldest. While we don’t know for sure which medicine that would be, we do know one of the oldest medicines is from the bark of the Willow tree. The Sumerians and Egyptians had found this bark had some pain relief qualities and as far back as 3,500 years ago used it to subdue pain. You have to wonder how they discovered this. Perhaps they observed some animal eating the bark and tried it. An interesting fact concerning this bark is in the early 20th century it was used by the Bayer company to create aspirin. While technically not medicine, one of the medical practices which is believed to be tens of thousands of years old is suturing. Someone must have said wow look at that big split from that cut, maybe we can sew it together. On the other hand, since no one knew about germs and such you have to wonder how many people died from infection. What does all this prove? It shows that our ancestors were able to conduct advanced medical procedures for their time. How the rate of infection was kept down is a mystery to me, but it seems to have been accomplished. Maybe they knew something that we don't know now, it is possible? Could we have lost some medical knowledge over the years? Maybe.
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