Stacey’s Blog

 

In the pre-historic period people believed illness and disease were caused by the spirits.  Ill people were usually treated by herbs and charms. Illness and injury were usually treated by the medicine man. A form of surgery was used called trephining; this involed the drilling of a hole in the skull and removing a piece of bone. This was used for easing pressure of swelling after injury and also to let out evil spirits which pre-historic people believed was causing the pain and illness.

The Egyptian period witnessed a number of changes in medicine. One such change was that metal workers made bronze instruments for doctors so this meant that Egyptian doctors worked with better medical instruments then the pre-historic healers. This improved doctors ability carry out somre surgical procedures.

 Another change is that writing was invented which helped medicine because there was paper so they could record the treatment they had done and share it with others. These changes were brought about by a number of factors. One such factor was communcations. Another factor was technology.

However not everything changed. There were some continuities. For example in pre-historic times they believed that it was the evil spirits that caused pain and illness and the egyptians believed the same. These changes resulted in progress in medicine because they learnt abit more about the human body because they had better medical instruments to use which was good. But they couldnt learn to much because of there relgion which was a regression in medicine beacuse the egyptians believed that you needed yor body in after life.  So when a person died, the priests recited prayers and a final attempt was made to revive the deceased. The body was then washed and purified. A cut was made in the body, and all the organs were removed.  The body was wrapped in bandages with jewelry and amulets between the layers. The wrapped body, or mummy, was put into a coffin. so this meant they couldnt do a anatomy. 

Also the finding/making of papyrus (A kind of paper made from Reeds) was a progress in medicine because it was an easier way of recording treatments and remedies so that it could be passed on accurately to other healers.