The Roman Empire began around 800 B.C.E. and existed
for around 1,200 years. Medical knowledge and practice
were advanced for the time, and the ancient Romans
made progress in many areas.
Among the practices that the Romans adopted from the
Greeks was the theory of the four humors, which
remained popular in Europe until the 17th century.
However, unlike the Greeks, the Romans did
NOT like the idea of dissecting corpses, so they did not discover much about human anatomy.
The Romans had their first introduction to Greek medicine
when Archagathus of Sparta, a medical practitioner, arrived in Rome in 219 B.C.E.
Other scientists and doctors came from Greece, first as prisoners of war and later because they could earn more money in Rome.
By the 3rd century B.C.E., the Romans had adopted a religious healing system called the cult of Aesculapius, which took its name from a Greek god of healing.
It was by observing the health of their soldiers that Roman leaders began to realize the importance of public health.
On the battlefield, Romans used surgical tools to
remove arrowheads and carry out other procedures.
Most Roman surgeons got their practical experience on the
battlefield. They carried a tool kit containing arrow extractors, catheters, scalpels, and forceps.
They used to sterilize their equipment in boiling water
before using it.
The Romans performed surgical procedures using opium and scopolamine to relieve pain and acid vinegar to clean up wounds.
Maternity care. The Romans also had midwives, whom they treated with great respect.
Records of medical instruments include a birthing stool, which was a four-legged stool with arm and back supports and a crescent-shaped opening for the delivery of the baby.
Cesarean sections did sometimes take place. The women would not survive, but the baby might.
soldiers and gladiators often had wounds, which could be
severe, and doctors had to treat them. In this way, they learned more about the human body.
Claudius Galen, who moved from Greece to Rome in 162 C.E., became an expert on anatomy by dissecting
animals and applying his knowledge to humans.
He was a popular lecturer and a well-known doctor, eventually becoming Emperor Marcus Aurelius’ physician. He also wrote several medical books.
Galen also dissected some human corpses. He dissected a hanged criminal and some bodies that a flood had unearthed in a cemetery.
As a result, Galen displayed an excellent knowledge of bone structure. After cutting the spinal cord of a pig and observing it, he also realized that the brain sends
signals to control the muscles.
Marcus Terentius Varro (116–27 B.C.E) believed that disease occurred due to minute creatures too small for
the naked eye to see. We now know about bacteria and viruses, which we can only see using a microscope.
However, others believed that the stars caused illness.
Lucius Junius Moderatus Columella, who lived from 4 C.E. to around 70 C.E., was an agricultural writer. He thought that diseases came from swamp vapors.
Until two centuries ago, many of these beliefs were still popular.
Roman diagnosis and treatment consisted of a combination of Greek medicine and some local practices.
As the Greeks did before them, Roman physicians would carry out a thorough physical examination of the individual.
The Romans used a wide range of herbal medicines and other remedies, including:
Fennel: This plant was a standard treatment for nervous
disorders because Romans believed that it calmed the
nerves.
Unwashed wool: The Romans applied this to sores.
Elecampane: Also known as horseheal, people used this herb for digestive problems.
Egg yolk: Doctors prescribed egg yolk for dysentery.
Sage: This perennial had religious value. Its use was
common among those who believed that the gods could
heal them.
Garlic: Doctors advised that garlic was good for the heart.
Boiled liver: People with sore eyes used this.
Fenugreek: Doctors often prescribed this plant for lung
diseases, especially pneumonia.
Cabbage: Cato recommended this for many purposes,
including a hangover remedy and a cure for wounds and
sores.
Silphium: People used this as a form of contraceptive and for fever, cough, indigestion, a sore throat, aches and pains, and warts. Historians are not sure exactly what silphium was, but they believe it to be an extinct plant of the genus Ferula, possibly a variety of giant fennel.
Willow: People used this as an antiseptic.
Pedanius Dioscorides lived around 40–90 C.E. He was a Greek botanist, pharmacologist, and physician who
practiced in Rome when Nero was the ruler.
He became a famous Roman army doctor.
Pedanius Dioscorides wrote a 5-volume pharmacopeia
called “De Materia Medica,” which listed over 600 herbal cures.
Doctors used “De Materia Medica” extensively for the next 1,500 years.
Many Roman doctors came from Greece. They firmly believed in achieving the right balance of the four humors and restoring the “natural heat” of people with medical
conditions.
Galen said that opposites would often cure people. For a cold, he would give the person hot pepper. If they had a fever, he advised doctors to use cucumber.
The Romans, unlike the Greeks and Egyptians, were firm believers in public health. They knew that hygiene was vital to prevent the spread of diseases.
Practical projects, such as creating a water supply, were very important to them. They built aqueducts to pipe water to cites. The sewage system in Rome was so advanced
that nothing matching it was built again until the late 17th century.
One explanation of how the Romans were able to organize such major public projects is that they had a vast but centralized empire. The Emperor wielded his power across the Roman territory, and there was enough cheap labor and sufficient wealth to carry out these schemes.
Some of the wealthy even had underfloor heating in their homes.
The Romans also promoted facilities for personal hygiene by building public baths and washrooms. Their focus was on maintaining a motivated and healthy army, but their citizens also benefited.
Examples of some Roman facilities include:
Public baths: There were nine public baths in Rome alone.
Each one had pools at varying temperatures. Some also had gyms and massage rooms. Government inspectors were vigorous in their enforcement of proper hygiene standards.
Hospitals: Ancient Romans were responsible for setting up
the first hospitals, which they initially designed to treat
soldiers and veterans.
Water supply: The Romans were superb engineers, and
they built several aqueducts throughout their Empire to
supply people with water.
Planning: The Romans were careful to place army barracks
well away from swamps. If marshes got in the way, they
would drain them. They were aware of the link between
swamps and mosquitoes and understood that these insects could transmit diseases to humans.
The Romans learned about medicine from the Greeks and
Egyptians, and they made their own contribution to the
discipline by focusing on public health and disease prevention.
However, they did not make significant progress in
understanding how the human body works, and they were not yet aware of the association of germs with disease.
After the fall of the Roman Empire, medical knowledge in
Europe did not make significant progress again until the
Renaissance period.
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