CS 2902: Ancient Medicine (Test 1)| With complete
solu on| RATED A+ | 2026
Timeline
- 4th century BCE (399-300 BCE/BC) to 2nd century CE (100-199 CE/AD)
Problems with the sources when studying ancient medicine
- only a frac&on of sources exists from ancient day (need to look be cri&cal and may need to
consider other &melines)
- complica&on with Greek society (only elite member were literate)
- experien&al medicine and oral tradi&on (many medical theories/procedures were observed
first hand, never wri.en down, and was passed down orally)
- throughout &me, sources like texts simply destroyed
- biases of scribes: copying/recording: things published based on interest
- general public may not be interested in them
Types of sources
Wri.en texts, Art, Physical evidence
Examples of wri.en texts
- le.ers, poetry, inscrip&ons, papyri, trea&es
Examples of Art
- vase, pain&ngs, statues, relics, etc.
Examples of Physical Evidence
- human remains, ar&facts, tools, archeological sites/buildings
What affects Transmission of sources
- Natural disasters, warfare (destroys sources)
- Monasteries picking what is transcribed (some works lost or forgo.en)
- La&n medical texts before 350 AD lost
- Books translated to codex (codex more accessible/easy access, books may contain contents
that is difficult to format in codex, so they are simply le8 out and eventually forgo.en)
, - In 850 AD/CE: changes in handwri&ng made in difficult for people to make sense of what is
wri.en (more abbrevia&on in language/wri&ng)
How were some medical works saved?
- Galenism: Gale, well respected by people, whose words are valued. Gale valued medicine and
had a show on ancient medicine, so people followed it as well.
- Prin&ng press: helped preserved ancient texts
- In 1499, Greek medical record were printed.
- Opening of libraries
How does lost of sources affect us?
- We can't make general/defini&ve statements, meaning we don't have the full picture
- We need to use other sources to aid the picture: legal, historical, poe&c, plays, etc.
- texts assume a level of knowledge
Problems on studying of ancient medicine
- isola&onist view (many only focus on very specific topics rather than important problems at
hand)
- cultural view of Hippocrates as founder/father of medicine (so anything before his &me are
ignored)
- people have limited interest in medicine
- ra&onal medicine vs magic/supers&&on/religion
T/F, ra&onal and "magic/supernatural" approaches go side by side
True
Causa&on Ideologies
- seeks single en&ty casing disease (germ gene)
- if you know the cause, you can make a treatment
Reduc&on Ideologies
- separate pathogen from patent
- problem bacteria/virus not the pa&ent
- primary focus: disease agent
- secondary: pa&ent
Problems with these approach..
- solely focused on root of problem, and ignores pa&ents (for instance the pain they'll feel)
solu on| RATED A+ | 2026
Timeline
- 4th century BCE (399-300 BCE/BC) to 2nd century CE (100-199 CE/AD)
Problems with the sources when studying ancient medicine
- only a frac&on of sources exists from ancient day (need to look be cri&cal and may need to
consider other &melines)
- complica&on with Greek society (only elite member were literate)
- experien&al medicine and oral tradi&on (many medical theories/procedures were observed
first hand, never wri.en down, and was passed down orally)
- throughout &me, sources like texts simply destroyed
- biases of scribes: copying/recording: things published based on interest
- general public may not be interested in them
Types of sources
Wri.en texts, Art, Physical evidence
Examples of wri.en texts
- le.ers, poetry, inscrip&ons, papyri, trea&es
Examples of Art
- vase, pain&ngs, statues, relics, etc.
Examples of Physical Evidence
- human remains, ar&facts, tools, archeological sites/buildings
What affects Transmission of sources
- Natural disasters, warfare (destroys sources)
- Monasteries picking what is transcribed (some works lost or forgo.en)
- La&n medical texts before 350 AD lost
- Books translated to codex (codex more accessible/easy access, books may contain contents
that is difficult to format in codex, so they are simply le8 out and eventually forgo.en)
, - In 850 AD/CE: changes in handwri&ng made in difficult for people to make sense of what is
wri.en (more abbrevia&on in language/wri&ng)
How were some medical works saved?
- Galenism: Gale, well respected by people, whose words are valued. Gale valued medicine and
had a show on ancient medicine, so people followed it as well.
- Prin&ng press: helped preserved ancient texts
- In 1499, Greek medical record were printed.
- Opening of libraries
How does lost of sources affect us?
- We can't make general/defini&ve statements, meaning we don't have the full picture
- We need to use other sources to aid the picture: legal, historical, poe&c, plays, etc.
- texts assume a level of knowledge
Problems on studying of ancient medicine
- isola&onist view (many only focus on very specific topics rather than important problems at
hand)
- cultural view of Hippocrates as founder/father of medicine (so anything before his &me are
ignored)
- people have limited interest in medicine
- ra&onal medicine vs magic/supers&&on/religion
T/F, ra&onal and "magic/supernatural" approaches go side by side
True
Causa&on Ideologies
- seeks single en&ty casing disease (germ gene)
- if you know the cause, you can make a treatment
Reduc&on Ideologies
- separate pathogen from patent
- problem bacteria/virus not the pa&ent
- primary focus: disease agent
- secondary: pa&ent
Problems with these approach..
- solely focused on root of problem, and ignores pa&ents (for instance the pain they'll feel)
