The ancient Greeks have a lot to teach us today about medicine
Since then, our understanding of how the body works and how it should be treated has changed in ways that are hard to imagine. What would the purpose be of studying ancient Greek medical history today?
Why bother with medicine before we know about anesthetics, blood circulation, or antibiotics? Although we have a more accurate and detailed picture of treatment today, the ancient Greeks are able to help us think about a number of topics that still apply today.
New (old treatments)
It is an exciting reason to study ancient Greeks. It’s not as simple as that. It’s possible, but it hasn’t yet happened. The plant would need to pass the different stages of testing we consider essential today, which is not always easy. Ancient Greece wasn’t a golden age for simple, safe medicine. Some treatments, such as womb fumigation, were unpleasant and invasive. Other therapies used dangerous materials, such as Hellebore.
Ancient medicine didn’t begin with drugs. Diet, as a broad term, was the first step, which included food, drinks, exercise, excrement, and sleep. The balance of fluids was viewed as the key to health. Diet was never about eating raw foods, despite what modern charlatans claim.
The condition of a patient was believed to be influenced by the body’s relationship with the environment, not only the body’s balance. It’s no surprise that doctors are spending more time on diseases like obesity and mental illness.
Trust me. I am a doctor. Wikimedia Commons/Tedmek, CC BY-SA
Trust is essential in medicine
It is not a good idea to use ancient Greek medicine for remedies, but it is a great way to learn about the doctor-patient relationship. We still say, “Trust me. I’m a physician”. In the ancient world, doctors were viewed with a great deal of suspicion. It was risky for them to be near you, especially if you were feeling weak. Men’s masculinity was damaged by being ill, as it was seen as a sign of a lack of self-control.
A doctor must have a good image to gain the trust of his patients. It’s today the white coat. Ancient Greece was about simple, plain clothing. It was also about avoiding strong fragrances and not quoting poets at the bedside of the patient. You’ll understand why if you’ve ever read a Greek tragedy. It’s not encouraging to hear that “Death will wash this dirt away” or “I would crawl alone in my misery, dragging my wretched feet.” You, as a doctor, needed to know what your patients thought and gain their trust. If they trusted you, they would take your remedies.
Treatments come and go.
The process of medicine is not linear. We don’t move towards “The Truth” in a straight line. There are ups and downsides to treatment, and some discoveries may not be accepted. In the third century BC, human dissection was used to study the workings of the body. It was abandoned after hundreds of years. In this way, we can examine why certain methods of treatment are accepted or rejected.
Roman medicine was a simple home-based practice, with the family head collecting and applying remedies. Greek medicine was not a success in Rome when it first arrived. A story of an early Greek physician in Rome calls him “The Butcher.”
Greek medicine did not win because it was “better.” The appeal of a trendy practice may have played a role. It could have been because the course was not based on the family. It could have been because it was accompanied by explanations rather than just relying on authority.
There are no poetry readings here. Wellcome Images/Johannes Zacharias Simon Prey, CC BY
Why?
Why me? Why me? Ancient religions blamed you for not honoring the gods the right way or for your failures. Ancient medicine explained illnesses by pointing out what people had done wrong. However, it was less about moral failings and more about eating the wrong food or exercising too much. The season, your location, and the wind direction could all be factors in determining a diagnosis.
We can only get better if we understand “why.” Modern medicine is only beginning to realize that placing the blame solely on the patient will not help. The more people can find a reason outside of themselves, the more positive their attitude will be.
We don’t have all the answers.
My pregnant mother refused to take a prescription for thalidomide. This drug was prescribed to treat morning sickness, but it was later discovered that it caused severe damage to unborn babies. Medicine is wrong. It would be naive of us to believe that all we do is correct.
Ancient Greeks believed they knew the answer. So do we. We should always be ready to question and rethink anything we accept, especially if it is so different than ours.
The Greeks teach us, too, that medicine must make sense for its audience. The Greeks did not believe in “a pill to cure every disease” or the same treatment regardless of who the patient was. It was holistic, prevention-based, and tailored for each individual. In the wake of genetic studies and modern medicine, tailoring medicine for each individual has once again become a major focus. The ancient Greeks have a lot to teach us.
