Medicine

The earliest or first medicine ever practiced was with magic and spells. Apollo and Asclepius were the gods of healing and people would go to the temple of Epidourus to pray for the gods to heal them. In the temple the ill people would pray to Apollo and Asclepius to come overnight to heal their pain. Many of the ill people in the morning became well with their fevers down and pain gone. They would then make an offering such as clay body parts (that they had pain in) to present to the gods in thanks.

Many people believed that the gods made them ill either as a punishment or if the people weren't honoring them enough. But soon Greek doctors came around and started to use simple instruments such as scalpels and probes. They also used ointment for healing that were made from minerals, herbs, and honey. The doctors had to treat a wide variety of illnesses. Today's doctors specialize in specific areas such as dentistry, surgery, and anatomy.

One of the most important doctors in Ancient Greece was Hippocrates. Hippocrates was known as, "The Father of Medicine". He lived on the island of Cos in 400 B.C. Hippocrates believed that most illnesses had natural causes. He also had a more practical and scientific approach to medicine where patients were examined and a diagnosis was made. He discovered the connection between human diseases and environmental conditions. Diet, exercise, drinking water, and living conditions were thought to affect a person's health. Hippocrates wrote how doctors should behave and that they should follow a code of conduct which is now known as the Hippocratic Oath. This oath can be found posted throughout all medical offices around the world. We also now have doctors repeat the oath as a part of becoming a doctor. "I swear by Apollo... I will not give to anyone any medicine which will kill or harm them...Whatever I see or hear, I shall not tell anyone".

Other ancient Greek doctors included Herophilus, who was known as "The Father of Scientific Anatomy," because of his studies on dissection of the human body. He also studied the brain and believed it was the center of the nervous system. Herophilus was the first to recognize that the arteries contain blood, not air. Erasistratus was a Greek doctor who founded a school of anatomy in Alexandria, Greece. He traced sensory and motor nerves to the brain, veins, and arteries to the heart. Erasistratus was a pioneer in studying the circulation of the blood in the body.