338
William Harvey
in 1628, an english doctor
named William Harvey
(1578-1657) discovered
that blood constantly
circulates around the
body. He described how
blood is pumped by the
heart into the arteries
and returns to the heart through
the veins. He showed that valves
in the veins stop the blood from
flowing backward. at first, Harvey
was scorned for contradicting old
ideas, but later he became physician
to Charles i, King of england.Harvey drew detailed diagrams to
explain his theory of circulation.Herbalism
For thousands of years, people have used herbs and plants in
healing. Herbalists wrote lists of herbs and their uses. monks were
also famed for their knowledge of herbs. The first pharmacists,
called apothecaries, used herbs to make potions, or medicines. in
europe during the renaissance, however, many herbalists were
accused of being witches. many people are now turning to
herbs as a natural way of treating illnesses.MEDICINE
HISTORY OF
sinCe THe earliesT Times, people have looked for ways of curing
their illnesses. early people believed that disease was a punishment from
the gods. They also believed that priests and magicians could heal them.
in ancient Greece, people visited temples when they were sick and
sacrificed animals to asclepius, the Greek god of healing. They also drank
and bathed in medicinal waters and followed strict diets in the hope of
being cured. During the 5th century bce, the Greek doctor Hippocrates
declared that it was nature, not magic, that caused and cured disease.
Hippocrates was famed as “the father of medicine,” and he and his
followers wrote many medical books. The spirit of enquiry, which was part
of the renaissance (a cultural movement beginning in 14th-century
europe), encouraged experiments that put european medicine on a firm
scientific basis. many people began to question the traditional ideas
about medicine. scientists such as vesalius (1514-1564) began to
study the bodies of dead people to learn more about diseases and
how to treat it. since then, there have been many more discoveries
in medicine, and the battle against disease continues.TrepanninG
Ten thousand years ago, healers
tried to cure a sick person by cutting
a hole in his or her skull. Healers
believed that the hole in the head
released evil spirits that caused pain.
This was known as trepanning.Humors
The Greek physician Galen (c. 130-200 ce)
introduced the idea that the body contained four
fluids called humors—blood, phlegm, yellow
bile, and black bile. He believed that a person’s
mood depended on which of these four fluids
ruled the body, and that if the fluids were not
balanced, illness
would result.US_338_Medicine_Hist_of_1.indd 338 22/01/16 11:11 am