The Role of Hippocrates in the Development and Progress of Medical Sciences
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Bull. Ind. Inst. Hist. Med. Vol. XXIII pp. 125 to 136 THE ROLE OF HIPPOCRATES IN THE DEVELOPMENT AND PROGRESS OF MEDICAL SCIENCES SAMIR YAHIA EL-GAMMAL* ABSTRACT Greek relations with Egypt dates back to before 2000 B.C. The early Greek known systematic medicine began with the legendary Asclepias. the Greek God of Medicine. Round the 7th Century B.C. many Greeks migrated to Egypt. Many of them came to Egypt to study all kinds of sciences. Greek and thence the European medicine st a rt ed with the age of Pericles. Its progress centred in Hippocrates, the most famous Greek nhvscian. He founded the Coan school at Cas about 430 B.C. Hippocrutes separated Greek medicine from superstitions, magic and religion. He is called the father of Greek medicine. He wrote several books. the most famous of them is "The Collection" formed of 30 volumes He exacted an oath of medical ethics also. After 300 B.C. the Hippocr a t .c colleccion began to circulate. and in it was thrown evcrvthinu that could by any device be passed off as of Hippocratic origin. Many medical schools were founded in Gr eec e. which pushed medical sciences into much progress and development Greek relations with Eg/Pt dates Kahun papyrus (c. 2000 B.C.) back to those days when some parts speaks of women diseases as due to of Greece were occupied by the morbid states in the uterus in a very Egyptian troops before 2000 B.C. similar manner as that found in such parts as Crete, Cyprus and Hippocrates' works such as "De probably the Greek main-land. Morbis Mulierurn", 2nd book. Edwin Civilisation followed invasion and a Smith surgical papyrus describes skull great deal of Greek medicine was injuries, svstarnaticallv arranged in a obtained from the ancient Egyptians. way recalling the Hippocrates' book Of Pharmacist, Researcher in the History of Medicine & Pharmacy, P.O No 136. Maild" Cairo. Egypt. 126 Bull. Ind. Inst. Hist. Med. Vol. XXIii "De Capites Vulneribus" (the papyrus were at Cas, Epidaurus, Cnidus and dates to 1550 B.C.). Also the Pergamum. They were commonly symptoms in different organs situated on wooded hills or mountain accompanying affections of the sides, near mineral springs, and thus stomach mentioned in Ebers papyrus became popular sanitaria, managed (1550 B.C.) may be compared with by trained priests .. who stir in the those stated by Alexander Trullianus patients their immaginations by (VII, Chap. 1) (6-7th centuries A.D.) counting the deeds of Asclepius all The tumour section in Ebers papyrus about the success of the temple resembles one of Galen's books "De treatment and the remedies employed. Tumoribus Contran atururn". and The patient was purified by a bath many other examples. from the mineral spring with massage, inunction and the like. After the The early Greek known systematic sacrifice, he was conducted into the medicine began with the legendary special rite of incubation or temple Asclepius. the Greek God of medicine steep (many of the patients were (Aesculapius to the Romans). who is actuatlv having hysteria, barren believed to be living round the 11 th women seeking the God's help for century B.C., healed the sick and offsprings etc ). restored the dead to life. Epidaurus was the chief seat of his worship, Round the 7th century B,C., from whence it extended to Rome in many Greeks migrated to Egypt, 293 B.C. The Asclepiadae (i.e. the forming a colony in Lower Egypt descendants of Asclepius) were called Naucratis, linked Egypt and medical priests having their principal Greece with trade. Many of the seats in Cas and Cnidus Greeks of the main-land came to Egypt to study all kinds of sciences Asclepius attribute was a stalk which were taught in many temples with a snake coiled around it Of these famous universities (as we (because the snake, since it sloughs may call it, since it harboured many its skin, was supposed to renew its schools in each temple), were those youth). Sacred snakes were kept in at Oun (Heliopolis), Memphis. Sais, sanctuaries of Asclepius at Epidaurus Abydos, Thebes. etc. Thus all of the and else where. The customary ancient Egyptian civilisation was offering was a cock (same as was quoted by these Greek students who the customary offering to Imhotep ... transferred it back home and spread the Egyptian God of medicine .. was it every where. also the bird Ibis) Greek philosophy before Pericles The chief temples of this cult 7495-7429 B.C.) w as also partly The Hole of Hip pocretes-c-Semir Yahia EI-Garnmal 127 derived of Ionian origin, Pythagoras Theophrastus of Eresos ( ?372-? of Samos (580-489 B.C.) studied in 287 B.C.), the Protobot anist. did for Egypt, whence he probably acquired the vegetable kingdom what Hippo- his doctrine of the mystic power of crates did for medicine. His famous numbers and tile doctrine of transmi- book "De Historia Pla ntarurn" gration of sou ls or metapsychosis contained descriptions of more than He regarded the brain as the central 500 different plants. organ of higher activities and founded the Italian School of philosophers in Many medical schools were Crotona. founded in Greece which pushed medical sciences into much progress Greek and thence the European and development, of these; medicine started with the age of Pericles. Its progress centred in 1-.. School of Philosophy was Hippocrates. The medical school at founded round the 7th century Cnidus was established between B C. in Ionia (on the eastern coast 700 and 600 B.C., and was mainly of the Aegea n sea), its leaders concerned with symptoms as disso- were; Thales of Miletus (?624- ciated from the patient. Later on, ?546 BC.) Anaxirnander of Miletus Hippocrates founded the Coan school (611-547 B.C.) and Heraclitus of at Cas (round 430 B.C) where Ephesus (?535-? 475 BC ). disease was recognised as the result of natural causes, and where observa- 2 . Eleatic School: was founded tion of symptoms and their relation round the 6th century B.C., in the to the patient and environment were Greek city Elea of lower Italy; of studied and became the foundation its chief ex-ponents: Parmenicles of clinical medicine. The humoral and Zeno theory was postulated here 3·- Cnidian School: was an early After 300 B.C. the Hippocratic school preceding that of Hippo- Collection began to circulate, and in crates It listed symptoms without it was thrown everything that could coordination arid with haphaz ard by any device be passed off a s of therapeutics. Hippocratic origin. But dubious in its origin, the Collection had not 4- Sicilian School: its members were devoted to animal dissection and remained intact as it suffered stressed on diet regulation. Its accretion and loss The Collection leaders were Acron of Aqrirnenturn was made of thirtv books, of these (5th century BC.) and Philiston only 12 were scr upulo us lv studied. (4th century BC.). 128 Bull. Ind. tnst . Hist. Med. Vol. XXIII 5- Peripatetic School: pertaining to Egypt under the leadership of the philosophy of Aristotle (384- Philenos of Cas and Serapion of 322 B.C) who taught while Alexandria (c. 280 B.C.). As walking up and down in the opposed to the Dogmatists they Lyceum at Athens. declared that the search for the ultimate causes of phenomena 6- Dogmatic School: was founded at was vain, but they were active in Cas and the first of the post- endeavouring to discover the Hippocratic schools of medicine in immediate causes. They paid which. the open-minded spirit of particular attention to the totality Hippocrates' teachings merged of symptoms and ciinical observa- with strict formalism which cared tion and were guided in their more for the rig id doctrine th an therapeutics almost entirely by for investigation. Chief members experience. were; Diocles of Carystus (400 B.C.) Paraxagoras of Cas. The 10- Methodic School: It was founded Dogmatists divided medical by Thernison (c. 50 B.C.). and was science into five branches; based on the practice of the art physiology. etiology, hygiene, of medicine on exact rules and semeiology and therapeutics. theories as contrasted with experience. This school followed 7- Stoic School: was founded by the that of the Empirics and Doq- disciples of the philosopher Zeno matists but concentrated its (340-260 B.C) at Athens. Later attention on the pores. Roman Stoics were Cato the younger, Seneca and Marcus 11- Pneumatic School: it was founded Aurelius. (Zeno opend his school by Atheriaeus (who practiced in a colonnade called Stoa Peikile medicine in Rorne round the at Athens). 111 idd Ie at t he first century A. D.). Its style was based upon the 8- Epicuric School: was founded by action and constitution of the the followers of Epicurus (341 - 270 Pneuma (or vital air) which passed B.C ) who was a Greek philosopher from the lungs into the heart and that taught "pleasure is the arteries, and was thence dissernin- chief good thinr, in life". ated throughout the body. SJI"I'e members of this school were s- Empiric School: it was the second Agathinus of Sparta Archiqe nes of the pOS!- Hippocratic schools of of Ap arne a, Aret aeu s of Cappa- medicine, founded in Alexandria. doci a and Antylus. -TheRole of Hip pocrates-s-Somir Yahia EI-Gammal 12S Concerning those Greek scholars He also combined together the who played a great role in the theory of the four elements with his -deve loprnent of medical sciences ill own theory of the four humours; Greece and Rome and thence to the blood, phlegm, black bile (melancholy) European civilisation, the most and yellow bile (Choler).