ROMAN MEDICINE

INTRODUCTION

Roman medicine was highly influenced by geek medical

tradition and literature.
By first century BC romans borrrowed their medicine from
Greek whon they had conquered.
While politics became Roman but the medicine remained
Greek.
Romans were more practicle than Greeks.
They had a keen sense of sanitation.
DEVELOPMENT OF PUBLIC HEALTH:

• Public health was born in Rome with the development of baths,sewers

and aqueducts.
• They made fine roads.
• Brought pure water to all their cities through aqueducts.
• Drained marshes to combat malaria.
• Establishes hospitals for sick.
 130-205 A.D:
An outstanding figure among Roman medical
teachers was Galen.He was physician to
Roman emperor,Maecus Aurelius.

He said that disease is due to three factors

namely:
predisposing factor
exciting factor
environmental factor
 MIDDLE AES

• The period between 500 and 1500 A.D is generally known as “Middle
Ages’’.
• With the fall of roman empire the medical schools establishes in
Roman times also dissappeared.
Dark Age of Medicine:
• Europe was revaged by epidemics i.e, diseases like
plague,smallpox,leprosy and TB.
• The practice of medicine reverted back to primitive
medicine dominated by superstion and dogma.
• Rejection of body and glorification of the spirit
became the accepted pattern of behaviour.
• Therefore this period is called as ‘‘Dark age of
medicine’’.
• When europe was passing through dark ages ,the Arabs stole a march
over the rest of the civilization.
• They translated the Graeco-roman medical literature into Arabic and
helped preserve ancient knowledge.
• borrowing largely from the greek and roman they developed their own
system of medicine called Unani system of medicine.
• They introduced a wide range of syrups,oils,pills,powders,aromatic
waters.
• The words durg,alcohol,syrup,sugar are all arabic.
• The golden age of Arabic medicine wa between 800-1300A.D
• During turbulance middle ages ,christianity exerted a establishment of
hospitals.
• The first hospital on record in England was built in york in 937 A.D .
• During middle ages ,religious Institutions known as monasteries
headed by monks,saints and abbotts also cameup.
• These admitted men and women of all ranks including kings and
queens.
• They not only helped preserve the ancient knowledge but also
rendered active medical and nursing care to the sick.