Roman medicine

Introduction The Romans incorporated both a scientific and

mythological approach to medicine and health care. They adopted much of the Greeks' scientific data concerning medicine. Primarily, the teachings of Hippocrates (460 - 384 BC) gave the Romans a holistic look at medicine and the treatment of illnesses and diseases.

What the Romans died from… The Romans died from diseases like:

Tuberculosis, typhoid fever and other diseases like Malaria, diseases from what you eat, the lack of hygiene etc…

More details : Living in an urban environment during the Roman period exposed the population to infectious diseases easily transmitted by close contact with people. animals and insects, industrial pollutants and accidents in the work place, new infections carried by migrants, contaminated water supplies, packed housing without adequate ventilation or toilet facilities, poor quality imported food and poor personal hygiene - not to forget the dangers of physical assault, fires and war.

Even the close quarters in which the urban poor lived, their poor hygiene and undernourishment, as well as the constant influx into the city of migrants who were incapable of fighting these diseases, it is no wonder that infectious diseases were killers

Roman medical procedures

This is the technique of "cupping," creating small vacuums in heated cups to "draw the poisons out." This technique continued in folk culture through the early 20th century.

Roman medical procedures

Ancient Roman medicine was a combination of physical techniques using various tools and holistic medicine using rituals and religious belief systems.

Ancient Romans often believed that diseases were brought on by the disfavor of the gods. They deeply believed that practices such as superstition, rituals, and a belief in spells would rid them of disease. Since many diseases soon or later went away, they believed they had managed to please the gods by performing the correct religious and spiritual acts. Religious cures were rare but magical treatment was commonly applied. This goes into the realms of natural products - herbology - and a primitive form of witchcraft.

Surgery

Surgery

Surgical operations could go as far as removing bits of skull and replacing them with metal plates, or modifying the shape of your eyelids for cosmetic purposes.

Patients would lie on (in most cases) a table, splattered with blood from previous patients. The tools used were not sterilised, and a lot of patients died from infections after the surgery.

Asclepius

Asclepius, a son of Apollo, was possessed with great skill and knowledge for healing the ill. His reputation grew and people came from far and near to be healed. So grateful were his patients that they gave him many treasures. Before long, the hero they worshipped was considered a god and they built temples in his honor. The remains of the most famous one at Epidaurus can be visited today. (Some say Epidaurus was his birthplace.) Asclepius put beds in these temples, thus creating the first hospitals. (The concept of a hospital disappeared in later centuries; some people went to monasteries when ill but most relied on home cures.)

Public health

The Romans were the first civilization to introduce a public health system. They had to do this because Rome had grown in size and it was impossible to find a natural source of fresh water in the city. It was also necessary to find a way of disposing of the rubbish to prevent pollution causing health problems.

Aqueducts were built to transport fresh water into the city. In AD100 there were a total of nine aqueducts that brought fresh water into the city of Rome.

Public baths were places where people could go to bathe, meet and discuss business. There were hot and cold baths as well as massage rooms.

A network of sewers was built to take sewerage and waste out of the city to the river Tiber. There were also public lavatories.

Public health : Pictures

Sewers

Public baths

Aqueducts

Sources to pictures

http://blog.synapticsugar.net/?tag=italy

http://www.blatner.com/adam/consctransf/historyofmedicine/1-overview/brief.html

Sources to websites

http://www.historyonthenet.com/Romans/public_health.htm

This website have all about Romans : Roman society , food, clothing, activities etc…

http://www.archaeolink.com/roman_medicine.htm

This website contains the following topics : surgery , Roman history , gods etc…