Principles of Medical Science

 Question: How long has disease been around?  Arthritis (also called “cave gout”) was found in dinosaurs and prehistoric bears  Fractures on bones were common

 Question: What about disease in primitive man (and woman)?  Tuberculosis and parasite infestations (small dark pin holes in vertebrae and skull)  Under calcified bones caused by poor nutrition  Eroded and decayed teeth caused from improper diet and pyorrhea (gum disease)  Women died in difficult childbirth (skeletal remains found with fetal remains still in pelvis)  They had to nurse their babies and the best food went to men so they had weak immune systems

 Question: What about the Neanderthal people?  Some scientists think that they weren’t stooped over because they were the “Missing Link”, but had advanced arthritis! WHAT DO YOU THINK?????

 Question: How did prehistoric man deal with illness?  We aren’t sure, but we can guess from:  *cave drawings  *bony remains and artifacts  *comparison to primitive societies today (religion, music and medical treatment mingled together)

 Question: Who were the ancient healers? (Witch doctors or healers)

 Question: What were their techniques and tools of their trade?  Techniques: chanting, praying, hallucinogenic trances (sometimes it meant frightening evil spirits from patients and then casting it into a cockroach and stomping on it; Sucking and vomiting-shaman would inhale large amounts of tobacco smoke until nauseated and then right before vomiting with suck evil spirits out of patient and vomit)  Tools: facial and body paints and medical bags which held dried plants, herbs, sticks, sucking tubes, sharpened animal bones, and even human scrotum!

 Question: How did primitive societies regard sick or disabled people?  Cherokees and Navahos- treated with kindness and acceptance; North American Indians were in awe of those that survived and treated them like gods  Eskimos- set out old and sickly in unsheltered areas to die  Other groups- killed and ate them (to preserve life force of tribe)

 Question: How did primitive people regard mentally ill?  Some were shunned- they were thought to carry evil spirits  Eskimos and Siberian peoples that this was a sign of a shaman

 Question: How did primitives deal with injuries?  Sewed up cuts (lacerations) with strips of animal tendon and needles made from bone  Made wood splints and casts from hardened hides  Trepanation- drilled hole in skull to “let out evil spirits”

 Question: How did primitives deal with injuries?  Deadened skin with plant substances  Used herbs and plants as medicine  digitalis-from foxglove plant (slows heart)  quinine from bark of cinchona tree (helps with malaria, controls fever)  belladonna and atropine from poisonous nightshade plant(relieves muscle spasms)  Morphine and opium from poppy (pain relief)  acetylsalicylic acid from bark of willow tree (pain- aspirin)  Medical marijuana?