C01 P01 HISTORY OF MEDICINE - 1st chapter

The history of medicine traces humanity’s long journey from superstition to science in understanding health and disease. Early civilizations like Egypt, China, and India developed traditional systems such as Ayurveda and Traditional Chinese Medicine, focusing on balance and holistic care. The Greeks, led by Hippocrates, introduced the idea that disease had natural—not supernatural—causes, laying the foundation for rational medicine. The Middle Ages saw preservation of medical knowledge by Arab scholars like Avicenna, while the Renaissance revived scientific inquiry, anatomy, and experimentation. The 19th and 20th centuries marked a transformation with germ theory, vaccination, anesthesia, antibiotics, and advances in public health measures like sanitation and epidemiology. For public health students, this history highlights how medicine evolved from individual care to community well-being—shaping today’s emphasis on prevention, evidence-based practice, and health equity.

2.  THE SCIENCE OR PRACTICE OF THE
DIAGNOSIS
TREAMENT &
PREVENTION OF DISEASE.

MEDICINE

3. HISTORY OF MEDICINE
 Medicine man, priest, herbalist & magician
took various ways to cure or give relief to sick.

 Medical knowledge has been derived to
present extent by the observations and
experiences of different fields of medicines.

5. PRIMITIVE MEDICINE
 M
edicine was conceived in
SYMPATHY
a
nd born out of
NECESSITY.
 Th
e reasons behind the sickness were
SUPERNATURAL AGENTS l
ike gods,
holy
people AND ghosts.
 M
embers of primitive medicine never
d
istinguished
Medicine, Man, Religion.

6.  I
t’s practice has been traced 10,000yrs
ba
ck and is still practiced in remote

a
reas of ASIA, AFRICA & SOUTH AMERICA.
 I
n this present world use of house
hol
d remedies with out knowing
how
they act & cure.

7. INDIAN MEDICINE

AYURVEDA and SIDDHA systems of
medicine are truly Indian in origin.

Unani – Tibb system ( Greek Medicine )
Homoeopathy system ( Germany )

9. It implies “KNOWLEDGE OF LIFE” OR
“KNOWLEDGE BY WHICH LIFE
MAY BE PROLONGED”
AYURVEDAAYURVEDA
Dated back to 5000 BC and is developed from
“ATHARVAVEDA”
TRIDOSHA THOERY has 3 DOSHAS / HUMORS
VATA – wind
PITTA - gall
KAPHA - mucous

10. BIRTH OF DHANVANTARI

11. Dhanvantari, God of Ayurveda, appears as Dhanvantari, God of Ayurveda, appears as
Vishnu, holding medical herbs in one hand.Vishnu, holding medical herbs in one hand.

12. •Dhanvantari, the physician of gods, who
appeared at the churning of the ocean is
worshipped by the physician-community.
•He is the father of Indian science of
medicine & Ayurveda is attributed to him.
•He is also called sudhapani, because he
appeared from the ocean, carrying nectar
in his hands.

16. Lord Surya Lord Surya
•Lord Surya is the ruler of all planets that rotate around
him. Lord Surya is also known by other names like
Savitar, Aditya, and Ravi. He is the son of Sage Kashyap
and Aditi. He is described as Jagat Chakshu (Eye of the
World), and Aharpati (Lord of the Day). The sun's rays
nourish and nurture life and living beings. Hence, he is
described as ‘Pranadata' or life-giver.
Lord Surya is the guardian of the east. He blesses his
devotees with good health, fame, and prosperity. His
ruling day is Sunday. His gemstone is the red ruby, and
gold is his metal. The chariot of Lord Surya has only one
wheel. It is drawn by seven horses corresponding to the
colors of the rainbow. The charioteer of Lord Surya is
Aruna, Lord Garuda's brother.

18. Ashwini KumarasAshwini Kumaras
•The ashwini kumaras are twins born as a result
of Sanjana & Surya (the sun) being together.
•At the moment of impregnation Sanjana has
assumed the shape of a horse.
•That is why this lunar constellation is called
horse woman.
•The twins appeared to have healing powers.
They have cured many mythological characters
who needed medical help. Therefore this
constellation has to deal with healing, with
putting a halt to aging process & with eternal
youth.

19. ATREYA



( 800 BC )
FIRST GREAT INDIAN PHYSICIAN &
TEACHER

20. CHARAKA
(200 AD)
Mentioned about 500 Drugs in his Book
“CHARAKA SAMHITA” based on teachings
of ATERYA.

21. SUSRUTA
He compiled his
Surgical knowledge in
“SUSRUTA SAMHITA”
(800 BC-400AD)
“FATHER OF INDIAN
SURGERY”

22. INDUS VALLEY CIVILIZATION

23. Early Indians did several
Surgeries.
British Physicians learned
Art of RHINOPLASTY
from
INDIAN SURGEONS

24. CHINESE MEDICINE
 It is based on two principles :-
YANG (active masculine principle )
YIN (negative feminine principle )
 Were early pioneers of IMMUNIZATION
practiced variolation for SMALLPOX.
 TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE WAS
DERIVED FROM OBSERVATIONS OF DISEASE
& ILLNESS BY TAOIST.

25. JIN DYNASTY PRACTITIONER HUANG WAS
ADVOCATE OF ACUPUNTURE
BAREFOOT DOCTORS :-
ACQUIRED LOCAL
KNOWLEDGE ABOUT PLANTS
& HERBS & MADE MEDICINES
BY WANDERING UP HILLS &
DOWN DALES ON BARE FOOT.

26. Egyptians INVENTED
PICTURE WRITING &
RECORDED THEIRWORKS ON
PAPYRUS.
IMHOTEP– AUTHOR OF EDWIN SMITH
PAPYRUS (3000-2500 BC) In
which he describes partial paralysis
following Cerebral Lesions in skull fractures.

27. MESOPOTAMIAN MEDICINE
“ CRADLE OF CIVILIZATION ” – (6000 yrs ago)
Oldest medical prescription is from
MESOPTAMIA dating back to 2100 BC.

28. Babylonian King Hammurabi
issues the first written law
code, the Code of Hammurabi,
based on revelation from
Shamash, the god of justice.
It had Laws that governed the conduct of
physicians And provided for health practices.

29. Greek medicine
Civilizers of ancient world

30. EARLY LEADER IN GREEK MEDICINE
A
E
S
C
U
L
A
P
I
U
S

32. AsclepiusAsclepius
•Greek hero who later become the Greek god of
medicine and healing. The son of Apollo and
Coronis, Asclepius had five daughters, Aceso,
Laso, Panacea, Aglaea and Hygiea.

•The main attribute of Asclepius is a physician's
staff with an Asclepiad snake wrapped around it;
this is how he was distinguished in the art of
healing, and his attribute still survives to this day
as the symbol of the modern medical profession.

33. HYGIEA

34. He had two daughters : -
HYGIEA (goddess of health - preventive)
PANACEA (goddess of medicine - curative)
Thus dichotomy between
curative & preventive medicines
began early.
He is still cherished in
MEDICAL circles by this
Symbol of
medicine.

35. HIPPOCRATES (460 - 370 BC )
FATHER OF MEDICINE
 HIPPOCRATIC OATH IS
KEY STONE OF MEDICAL
ETHICS.
ALSO KNOWN TO BE AN
EPIDEMIOLOGIST.
“AIR,WATER & PLACES”
IS A TREATISE ON SOCIAL
MEDICINE & HYGIENE.

36. ALEXANDRIA’S MUSEUM
FIRST UNIVERSITY IN
THE WORLD – HAD A
LIBRARY WITH
OVER 70,000 BOOKS.

37. W.H.OW.H.O

39. ROMAN MEDICINE
Romans borrowed their medicine from
Greeks whom they had conquered but
were more practical.
G
A
L
E
N
He observed that
Disease is due to 3
Factors – Predisposing
exciting &
Environmental factors

40. MIDDLE AGES
THE PERIOD BETWEEN 500 - 1500 AD
THE MEDIEVAL PERIOD IS THEREFORE CALLED
“DARK AGES OF MEDICINE”
LEADERS IN ARABIC MEDICINE WERE
THE PERSIANS:
ABU BECR [865 - 925] –
RHAZES WROTE A BOOK ON
“CHILDREN’S DISEASES”

41. CONTRIBUTED TO PHARMACOLOGY.
INTRODUCED WIDE RANGE OF SYRUPS.
SPREAD OF CHRISTIANITY LEAD TO
ESTABLISHMENT OF HOSPITALS.
IBN SINA [980 - 1037] –
AVICENNA
COMPILED
“CANON OF MEDICINE”

42. DAWN OF SCIENTIFIC MEDICINE
THE PERIOD FOLLOWING 1500 AD WAS MARKED
BY REVOLUTIONS.
REVIVAL OF MEDICINE
PARACELSUS [1493 - 1541] - REVIVED MEDICINE.
FRACASTORIUS : “THEORY OF CONTAGION”
FOUNDER OF EPIDEMIOLOGY.
ANDREAS VASALIUS: PERFORMED DISSECTIONS.
AMBROISE PARE: “FATHER OF SURGERY”.

43. THOMAS SYDENHAM :
“FIRST DISTINGUISHED EPIDEMIOLOGIST”
WILLIAM HARVEY-
“BLOOD CIRCULATION”
LEEUWENHOEK -
“MICROSCOPE”

44. SANITARY AWAKENING
IN 19
TH
CENTURY THE GREAT CHOLERA
EPIDEMIC LEAD EDWIN CHADWICK TO
BRING FORTH PUBLIC HEALTH ACT - 1848
IN ENGLAND.

45. RISE OF PUBLIC RISE OF PUBLIC HEALTHHEALTH
JOHN SNOW : -
“EPIDEMIOLOGY OF
CHOLERA”
ESTABLISHED ROLE OF
POLLUTED DRINKING
WATER IN SPREAD OF
CHOLERA.

46. GERM THEORY OF DISEASEGERM THEORY OF DISEASE
LOUIS PASTEUR -
“GERM THEORY OF DISEASE”
ROBERT KOCH -
DISCOVERED
“ANTHRAX BACILLI”

47. BIRTH OF PREVENTIVE BIRTH OF PREVENTIVE
MEDICINEMEDICINE
JAMES LIND - ADVOCATED
INTAKE OF FRESH FRUITS
AND VEGETABLES TO
PREVENT SCURVY.
EDWARD JENNER -
VACCINATION AGAINST
“ SMALLPOX”

48. CHOLERA VACCINE
[1892]
ANTI-TYPHOID VACCINE
[1898]
DIPHTHERIA ANTITOXIN
[1894]

49. FURTHER ADVANCEMENTFURTHER ADVANCEMENT
MODES OF DISEASE TRANSMISSION
MALARIA - FEMALE
ANOPHELES MOSQUITO
- ROSS [1898]
AFRICAN SLEEPING SICKNESS - TSETSE FLY - BRUCE [1896 ]
YELLOW FEVER - AEDES
- WALTER REED [1900 ]

50. MODERN MEDICINEMODERN MEDICINE
CONCEPT OF MULTIFACTORIAL CAUSATION
BY MUNICH [1819 - 1901]
MODERN
MEDICINE
CURATIVE
MEDICINE
PREVENTIVE
MEDICINE
SOCIAL
MEDICINE

51. CURATIVE MEDICINE: -
NOT MERELY TREATING THE DISEASE
BUT TO PRESERVE THE LIFE ITSELF AS
FAR AS IT COULD BE POSSIBLE.
PREVENTIVE MEDICINE:-
ART OF SCIENCE OF HEALTH
PROMOTION, DISEASE PREVENTION,
DISABILITY LIMITATION &
REHABILITATION.

52. SOCIAL MEDICINE:-


DEALS WITH CARE OF PATIENTS,
PREVENTOIN OF DISEASE AND
ADMINISTRATION OF MEDICAL
SERVICES & CARE.