Studying history helps us understand individuals, societies and events of the past. Even though the history of healing teach us all the facts on the healing art, including who was wrong and right, it is better to examine the way in which the healing is the product of specific cultural worldviews at a given time and place. Similarly to the societies of the past, diverse societies around the world today have different beliefs on what causes a disease, and methods of healing. The bottom line is that, whether they were right or wrong in their thought process, societies and people of the past have made great contribution to the healing art. Galen for example with his humoral theory explained the cause of disease as the disequilibrium in humors.
This paper presents a 60 years old male of Native American descent named Tomas Smith, who goes to the emergency department in an attempt to find some resolutions for the medical complications his is experiencing. Prior to seeking medical attention, the patient sought physical and spiritual healing for the art of cupping done that was by his tribal leaders, when the patient did not achieve the results he was hoping for, he decides to use the help of modern medicine. The patient and wife are not enthusiastic about modern medicine because of cultural beliefs but Mrs. Smith was afraid that she would lose her husband and call the ambulance for medical
Another reason was that characteristics of infection were thought to be signs of healing, for example,
Many people do not realize how fortunate they are to have the medical advances and medical technology we easily have the right to use. People from many years ago did not have specialized doctors and medicine to cure their diseases that we easily have access to today. (Ramsey) Many civilizations used what they thought to be alleviating processes, but medical experts today know now were pointless and dangerous. Among these people were the Elizabethans.
Between this time period, there were important discovery in anatomy, PHYSIOLOGY (understanding how the body works based on the observation and dissection) and surgery. However many people rejected the new ideas. At the beginning of this time period medicine was infrequent. There were only problems no solution; Infectious diseases such as The Great Plague were spreading but there we no medication for it. To cure the horrible epidemics they tried herbal remedies made out of plant and animals which had little effect on the patients due to lack medical knowledge.
In the Golden Age there was continually progresses in prescription; we do as well. There was a point n the Golden Age where there was a consistent measure of new healing centers. In America, we are continually setting up healing facilities. They additionally had loads of potential cures. We additionally have innovation spreading and the effect it puts on society.
Galen used elements to explain illnesses and diseases. He said that your blood/air was hot and wet, yellow bile/fire was hot and dry, black bile/earth was dry and cold, and that phlegm/water was cold and wet. Galen called these ‘humors’, he said when you have a proper balance you were considered to be healthy and when you had an improper balance it was suspected that there was a disease present. In 1668 a man named Hermann Boerhaave was born.
In what state is the geographical center of the United States located in? Which ancient Greek is considered to be the father of western medicine? Who was the first woman to be formally trained and to practice as a medical doctor in the US? Which disease, responsible for millions of deaths, was considered eradicated by the WHO in 1980?
Historic trauma stems from relocation, disease, residential schools, the Indian Act, and racial policies meant to assimilate and eradicate Aboriginal people (First Nations Health Council, 2011). Contact between Aboriginal Peoples and non-Aboriginals facilitated the spread of epidemic diseases which lead to the Aboriginal population collapse (First Nations Health Council, 2011). Daschuk, Hackett and MacNeil (2006) note that different severities of diseases experienced by First Nations were directly related to the new realities of the First Nations peoples as they struggled to adapt to the world of the colonisers including economic dislocation, political changes, and changes from traditional diets all created the perfect environment for breading diseases. The government and churches actively colonized and controlled Aboriginal peoples by eroding all Aboriginal systems including “spirituality, political authority, education, health care systems, land and resource access, and cultural practices” (First Nations Health Council, 2011, p. 13). It is important to recognize that colonial structures have purposely sought to “eliminate Indigenous sovereignty, Indigenous governments and Indigenous constitutional orders” (Ladner, 2009, p. 90).
The Medical Field of 1500-1800 AD The medical field from 1500 to 1800 AD was a time of significant progress and change. This period was marked by the Renaissance, the Scientific Revolution, and the Enlightenment, which all contributed to the development of medicine. Physicians and scientists during this era sought to understand the human body and its functions, leading to a newfound emphasis on anatomy and physiology. Advancements in medical technology, such as the invention of the microscope and the printing press, also enabled physicians and scientists to share their knowledge and discoveries more widely. Medical schools and universities began to emerge, providing formal education and training for aspiring medical professionals.
The medicine is still a useful concept in Aboriginal healing and many First Nations bands including the Plains Cree people of Thunderchild First Nation support the concept of the traditional teachings of the Medicine Wheel (Graham & Leesberg, 2010). Also Etowa, Jesty, & Vukic (2011), indicated that Aboriginal people have a holistic definition of health that involves a balance of emotional, mental, spiritual and emotional health which has its origins in the medicine wheel and that cultural traditions such as sweat lodges, talking circles, drumming circles, and smudging are crucial elements of healing and empowerment. The medicine wheel is used as a tool to emphasize the need for bal¬ance between these dimensions of life, as well as the holistic
He placed a strong focus on preserving the balance between the body and its environment and had faith in the body's innate ability to heal. The "Hippocratic theory of humours," put out the hypothesis that diseases were brought on by an imbalance of bodily fluids and that remedies were meant to remedy this imbalance. One of Hippocrates' key contributions was his emphasis on observation and clinical experience. He believed that illnesses had natural origins and that understanding these causes was critical for successful therapy. He compelled doctors to pay close attention to their patients and take careful notes on their symptoms, paving the path for evidence-based medicine.
When people got sick they needed medicine, physicians, and health care. In the late 1500 there was not a great deal medican, there was mostly just spiritual analysis. One of the key figures of the medical world was Andreas Vesalius who became Professor of surgery and anatomy at the University of Padua, when he was only twenty three. In most detail Vesalius showed that
Medicine in Medieval Europe was basic and mainly based on superstition. During this era, medical knowledge was very low, and very ineffective but it gradually became stronger and built up along the way. Medicine in that time included many herbal remedies as well as poor surgeries and links to astrology. Many of these ideas and beliefs soon developed therefore, growing the knowledge.
Medicine men were able to help people repair the damage done to their spirits and mind and bodies. Medicine men
The 19th century philosophy of the practice of healing was to find ways to sell drugs and/or services that would make people believe that they will be healed. Merchants wanted to make a profit and people who were ill would try anything to get relief and get better. The shamans act as healers that practice in a ritual of trances and plant-based medicines (Levinthal, 2012). These shamans are believed by some to be miracle workers and others believe it is a scam to get people’s money.