1st International Congress on traditional
Medicine & Materia Medica
TRADITIONAL MEDICINE IN DIFFERERENT NATIONS
Mohammad Taghi Sarmadi
1st International Congress on traditional
Medicine & Materia Medica
TRADITIONAL MEDICINE IN DIFFERERENT NATIONS
Mohammad Taghi Sarmadi
From reviewing ancient civilizations of Mesopotamia, Egypt, India, China, Jewish community, Greece, Iran, Aztec and Mayas tribes and other ancient countries, it has been inferred that protecting health and well being and restitution of it the time of sickness has always been the focus of attention by the mankind.
For this reason, being aware and bold, efforts were made to find remedies for remedies of illnesses, and were mostly successful.
Ancient civilizations used three kinds to herbal, animal and mineral medicines, while they did not rule out prayers, voodoos and black magic.
In the ancient Greece, the prudent medicine was introduced by Hippocrates and with it the belief in four natures (blood, Lymph, melancholy and bile) become universal and this practice was continued by the help and assistants of Heropheilus, Erasistratus and Dioskurides, the trained physicians from Alexandria and Rome schools.
In the ancient Iran benefiting from the teachings of Avesta especially the four chapters of Yasna Yasht.
Vandidad and Bon- daheshn, also by founding university and hospital of Gondi Shapur medical treatments and methods reached one of its highest peaks.
Upon emergence of Islam, prime Iranian physicians like Ebn-e-rabban Tabari, Ali-ibne Abbas-al-Majusi, Rhazes and Avicenna founded the Islamic medical practices. They introduced a great change and transformation in medicine and its treatments. When Dar-Alfonoon School of Medicine established in Tehran the modem Medicine started and gradually developed.
In the medieval period in Europe, the church medicine was widely practiced; therefore, churches and monasteries played a great rule diagnosing and treatment of the ailing. That was the reason behind Europe’s failure to achieve major improvements and achievements for this continent.
Finally the Renaissance period came by, which led to rapid improvements in medical treatment methods.
Before the European settlement, the Continent of America was using the same old traditional medicine.
However, after introducing European civilization and the formation of USA, the mentioned continent started parallel progression.
References:
1. Mohammad Taghi Sarmadi, A Research on the History of World Medicine and Treatment up to the Present Era, V.I, P.P.7,24,25,88,89,105,117,120,122,187,221 and V.II (part 2), P.486.
2. G. Sarton, a History of Science, Tr. By: An Aran, P.8.
3. Ibn-Abi-Osaybia, Oyoun-al-Anba fi Tabaqat-al-Attebba, Tr.by: S.D. Ghazban & Dr. Mnajrnbadi, P. 5.
4.Will Durant, the Story of the Civilization, Our Oriental Heritae, P. 304-310.
5. Henry E. Sigerist, the Great Doctors, P.P.41, 42.
6. Dr. Cyril L. Elgood, a Medical History of Persia and Eastern Caliphate, T. by: Dr B. Forghani, P.P.46-47
7. Georgy Zeidan, History of Civilization of Islam, Tr. by:A. Javaher-Kalam, VIII P. 23.
8. Medicine, an illustrated History, Albert S. Lyons, P.P.12-34.
9. Dr. Mnajrnabadi, A Medical History of Iran, P.P.2-19.