Introduction
Galenic medicine traces its origins and principles to Ancient Greece. The practice is named after Galen, a Greek physician and philosopher whose practices were based on the Hippocratic corpus and the philosophical ideas proposed by Plato, the Stoics, and Aristotle (DeMaitre, 2013). Galenic medicine was institutionalized in numerous European institutions of higher learning after the translation of Galen’s writings.
Galenic Medicine
Galenic medicine differed from contemporary practices in the sense that physicians could only aid nature to restore balance in a patient. In essence, nature defined and restricted the physician’s capabilities (DeMaitre, 2013). The practice involved the incorporation of ethics, logic, and philosophy in the provision of patient care in environments that had limited technology.
Rationality, Empathy, and the Limitations in Fighting the Black Death
The practice of empathy and rationality was limited by the philosophical underpinnings that guided the practice of medicine. Galenic medicine conceptualized the body as a constitution of four humors (DeMaitre, 2013). These were black bile, blood, phlegm, and yellow bile (DeMaitre, 2013). Imbalance in the humors or a change in any of their characteristics precipitated disease.
The obsession with the humors meant that the black death ravaged the population and led to significant morbidity and mortality (Horrox, 1994). It should be noted, however, that the plague prompted doctors to question their medical principles and focus instead on observation and the anatomy of the human body. The people’s rationality and beliefs were guided, to a large extent, by theories and opinions that had not been proven experimentally.
Legacy and Modern Applications
Galenic medicine continues to exert its influence in contemporary medicine. For instance, there are numerous reports regarding the use of maggots and leeches to address medical conditions (Tait, 2023). In addition, honey, an Egyptian technique for treating wounds, is used in numerous modern settings (DeMaitre, 2013).
The traditional concepts have blended with contemporary practices to form holistic medicine. This practice involves the management of a patient’s mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional aspects. It ensures that all spheres of an individual’s life are addressed to facilitate the preservation of their well-being. The approach is proof that the development of medicine lies in the evaluation of past practices and procedures.
Islamic Markets
Introduction to The Book of the Islamic Markets
The book of the Islamic Market Inspector is a complete and annotated translation of a 12th-century manual designed to guide the practice of an Islamic market inspector. It prohibited the entry of dung, sand, or produce into the market for fear of contamination (Buckley, 1999).
Natural Remedies and Medical Techniques in Islamic Medicine
The natural remedies that were used to treat conditions such as war injuries included irrigation with vinegar. Evidence of past traumatic injuries can be evaluated through archeological digs (Mitchel, 2004). They provide insight into the lives of patients in medieval times.
Social and Economic Perspectives
The social history perspectives reveal that cities were highly crowded areas where health and sanitation were of little concern. However, following the outbreak of plagues, the measures instituted by governments were met with resistance (Chakrabarty, 2012). Cities were managed in isolation, given the fact that a central authority was nonexistent. Communes were the legal basis upon which cities became self-governing institutions. The economic effects were severe, given the fact that bilateral agreements between cities were difficult to achieve.
Islamic vs. Western Medicine in Response to Smallpox
The smallpox epidemic was a challenging issue to address. The introduction of attenuated forms of the illness to induce immunity dates back to ancient Egypt, Asia, and Europe (Manela, n.d.). Smallpox scabs were harvested from patients, ground into a powder, and inhaled or introduced to the body through skin punctures (Manela, n.d.).
Islamic physicians practiced cauterization and bloodletting, which is different from the anatomic and biologic focus that characterized Western medicine (DeMaitre, 2013). The transfer of medical information was met with bias in the past. Islamic physicians reacted with shock after witnessing Western amputation techniques, with most viewing them as unorthodox because cauterization was barely used.
Conclusion
The evaluation of historical modes of treatment is invaluable in the practice of contemporary medicine. The assessment of the varied approaches to ailments informs current techniques and practices. This is best demonstrated by holistic medical approaches that address all aspects of an individual’s life to preserve their well-being. The adoption and analysis of historical perspectives are essential for enriching the medical field and developing novel strategies to address health and disease.
Bibliography
Amelia Tait. 2023. “Medieval Medicine: The Return to Maggots and Leeches to Treat Ailments,” The Guardian. Web.
Buckley R. P. 1999. The Book of the Islamic Market Inspector. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
Chakrabarty, Dipesh. 2012. Community State and the Body. Oxfordshire: Taylor and Francis Group.
DeMaitre L. 2013. Medieval Medicine: The Art of Healing, from Head to Toe. Westport: Praeger.
Horrox Rosemay. 1994. The Black Death. Manchester: Manchester University Press.
Manela, Erez. n.d. The Politics of Smallpox Eradication. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
Mitchel Piers. 2004. Medicine in the Crusades. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.