Verified Document

Greek Physician And Eventually Celebrated Essay

Like imhotep and Asclepius, though to a lesser degree, Hippocrates' life is so shrouded in myth that it is difficult to state many facts about the man. He certainly existed, hwoever, and was one of the first to apply true rules of logic and science to the practice of medicine. This was possible largely because of the changes made in philosophy both by the pre-Socratics, who determined that the gods were not responsible for the laws of nature, and the major Athenian philosophers such as Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle, who developed a system of rigorous logic that was attached to investigations of truth. Hippocrates focused on keeping the body healthy through preventative medicine, and that the body would often return to its natural state unaided -- thus the injunction to "do no harm."

Galen, a Greek physician...

His knowledge of the nervous and circulatory systems became extensive, however, especially when he was given gladiators with traumatic wounds that he could investigate. He didn't save as many as he possibly could have, instead taking time to increase his knowledge of anatomy. Galen's knowledge and reputation grew, affording him more opportunities both to practice medicine and to learn about human and animal anatomy, and also unfortunately giving him the prominence to start the widespread and long-lived practice of bloodletting -- not nearly as useful as the medicines compiled in his contemporary Dioscorides De material medica.

Cite this Document:
Copy Bibliography Citation

Related Documents

Piaf, Pam Gems Provides a View into
Words: 46193 Length: 125 Document Type: Dissertation

In "Piaf," Pam Gems provides a view into the life of the great French singer and arguably the greatest singer of her generation -- Edith Piaf. (Fildier and Primack, 1981), the slices that the playwright provides, more than adequately trace her life. Edith was born a waif on the streets of Paris (literally under a lamp-post). Abandoned by her parents -- a drunken street singer for a mother and a

Jesus' Teachings, Prayer, & Christian Life He
Words: 35411 Length: 109 Document Type: Dissertation

Jesus' Teachings, Prayer, & Christian Life "He (Jesus) Took the Bread. Giving Thanks Broke it. And gave it to his Disciples, saying, 'This is my Body, which is given to you.'" At Elevation time, during Catholic Mass, the priest establishes a mandate for Christian Living. Historically, at the Last Supper, Christ used bread and wine as a supreme metaphor for the rest of our lives. Jesus was in turmoil. He was

Delimitations Today, Modern Business Systems
Words: 20751 Length: 75 Document Type: Research Proposal

A favorite target for conspiracists today as well as in the past, a group of European intellectuals created the Order of the Illuminati in May 1776, in Bavaria, Germany, under the leadership of Adam Weishaupt (Atkins, 2002). In this regard, Stewart (2002) reports that, "The 'great' conspiracy organized in the last half of the eighteenth century through the efforts of a number of secret societies that were striving for

Medieval Medicine Many People Mistakenly
Words: 1638 Length: 6 Document Type: Term Paper

French 130) There is a clear sense that medicine in many ways changed dramatically after the many plagues began to ravage the European world. Physicians were often called to gain further understanding of what caused the plague and how to avoid it or even treat it when it was possible. (French 129) Medieval medicine was truly not a dark practice of seedy solutions to unknown and superstitious problems. It was the

Racial Categories
Words: 2065 Length: 6 Document Type: Research Paper

Fiction of Race Race Race: The cultural power of the fiction of race A recent PBS documentary was titled Race: The power of an illusion. This underlines what constitutes race -- race is a fiction, created by the faulty observational perceptions of human beings, and the history of human culture. Race is not a scientific reality. Because we can see color (and hair texture, facial shapes, and other characteristics) we perceive something we

Sign Up for Unlimited Study Help

Our semester plans gives you unlimited, unrestricted access to our entire library of resources —writing tools, guides, example essays, tutorials, class notes, and more.

Get Started Now