Throughout history, the development of medicines involved extensive trial and error, research, and investigation, just as ancient civilizations and even in the Stone Age, experimented with various medicinal plants to determine their therapeutic benefits, highlighting the diverse approaches cultures worldwide have adopted for diagnosing and treating diseases.
Egyptian civilization
The ancient Egyptian civilization, which lasted from 3300 to 525 B.C.E., has the oldest record of medical care. It was a well-structured society that had all professionals, including healers. Their medical practices involved prayers and the use of certain herbs to treat diseases. Through trading with people from faraway lands, they were able to exchange medicinal herbs. Many medical documents of Egyptian civilizations were recovered by archaeologists, including Ebers Papyrus, which contains many remedies and formulas. The heart is described in the Ebers Papyrus as the centre of blood supply in the human body. They believed mental disorders occurred due to evil or demons' influence.
Evidence suggests that ancient Egyptians learned about the anatomy of the human body through mummification. The experts in mummification were able to remove the brain through the nose.
Ayurveda: The Ancient Indian Medical Literature
Ayurveda is also one of the earliest recorded medical texts. It evolved during the Vedic era (1500–500 B.C.E.) and is still in practice today in India and Nepal. Ayurveda is said to be part of the Atharva Veda, one of the four Vedas or ancient books. More than 114 Ayurvedic treatments are found in the Atharva Veda. Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita have the earliest documentation of Ayurveda. Scholars from various parts of the world, such as China, Tibet, Persia, Egypt, Rome, etc., came to India to learn about Ayurveda and its principles.
According to Ayurveda, the human body is composed of three humors, such as vata, pitta, and kapha. The diseases mentioned in Ayurveda include fever, cough, diarrhea, seizures, abscesses, tumors, and skin diseases. Many medicinal herbs are prescribed for the treatment of these diseases. The remedial measures of Ayurveda encompass exercise, diet, yoga, herbal preparations, and physiotherapy.
Scholars from various parts of the world, such as China, Tibet, Persia, Egypt, Rome, etc., came to India to learn about Ayurveda and its principles. Some of the texts of Ayurveda were destroyed during foreign invasions.
Ancient Persian or Iranian Medicine
The medical system in Persia evolved during the Sassanid Empire (224–637 A.D.). Hospitals and medical universities were set up during this period, and the physicians had good knowledge about blood circulation. Islamic medicine developed certain principles based on Roman and Greek theories of humor. According to Islamic medicine, bodily fluids are divided into four types, such as blood, phlegm, yellow bile, and black bile. The disturbance in the balance of these fluids determines whether a person is sick or not. Honey, olive oil, and suction cups, which are traditional natural remedies, are still in use today in many Islamic countries.
Ancient Chinese Medicine
Ancient Chinese medicine is as old as 4000 years and used various herbs and diets to treat ailments. According to Chinese belief, a person becomes ill when the two opposing forces, Yin and Yang, become unbalanced in the body. Traditional Chinese medicine is based on ancient documents like the Huangdi Neijing and the Compendium of Materia Medica. It involves various types of herbal medicine, acupuncture, cupping therapy, massage, exercise, gua sha, and dietary therapy.
Acupuncture has been in use in China for more than 2000 years. In this procedure, needles are inserted into the body at various points to treat pain and illness. Acupuncture is still used in China and other countries to treat migraines and insomnia. However, the principles of acupuncture are not based on any scientific principles and come under the category of quackery.
The Bottom Line
Every culture across the world had different theories to treat ailments, and they understood the functioning of the body differently. Even though many of the theories of these cultures lack scientific evidence in today's world, we can't deny the fact that their other theories or remedies have contributed even in the smallest ways to the development of modern medicine.
References:
https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/323633#medical-practice
https://www.nhp.gov.in/origin-of-ayurveda_mtl
http://drjafargholi.com/en/history-of-ancient-medicine-in-iran/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21870056/
