Medicine

Medicine in Ancient Rome By: Wilson Smerconish From the beginning of The Roman Empire in 753 B.C., until the end of the Roman Empire in 450 A.D., Rome and the Romans gave the world many important inventions and advancements. One of the most notable areas of advancement was in the field of medicine. The Roman Empire had very few doctors. The “profession” was not well thought of and the pay for being a doctor was very low. Because of this, few people became doctors, and the people who were doctors were usually foreigners or slaves. New medical tools were taken when Rome conquered other cities and countries. India was the center of spice trading. Romans loved many spices which India had to offer. While trading with India more than just spices changed hands. Probes, bone forceps and scalpels were just a few of the tools to change hands. In Ancient Rome the medical capital of the world was Alexandria, Egypt. As the Roman Empire grew and became the focus of the ancient world doctors began to leave Alexandria and journey to Rome. Cornelius Celsus, a Roman nobleman, lived during the reign of Tiberius (AD 14- AD 37). Cornelius is known for writing a very famous book called //De Medicina “On Medicine.”// In //De Medicina// he wrote eight sections that described treatment for disease, surgical operations, and other medical treatments and surgeries. Cornelius’s book is so famous that doctors around the world still use it today. Cornelius Celsus was also the first Roman to perform eye surgery. The eye surgery in Ancient Rome was nothing like it is today. Cornelius could only remove a clouded lens from the patient’s eye, and replaced it with artificial lenses, strong contact lenses or very strong eye glasses. Even though this eye surgery was very minor, a slight incorrect movement of the hand could make the patient go blind forever, and this is why Cornelius strongly suggested being tied down or held down by a strong assistant. A lot of Romans did not get eye surgery for they knew the danger of it. Claudius Galen, a Greek nobleman, grew up in Pergamos, Greece, and studied medicine, wounds and the inside of the human body by treating gladiators in Pergamos Greece (his home town). When Rome became the focus of the world, Claudius Galen moved to Rome in hopes of becoming a physician. In fact he was so popular in Rome that he became the private doctor for Marcus Aurelius. Claudius soon got the nickname “Prince of Physicians.” During his time in Rome, he wrote hundreds of medical essays that influenced medicine for centuries. Claudius put all of his medical knowledge into a sixteen volume book. Claudius was the first person to discover the test for taking your pulse. When Claudius discovered the pulse he described it as a “rhythmic expansion of an artery that can be felt through your skin.” It is used to make sure that your heart is not beating too fast or too slow but just right. In times of battles or war, Romans needed to have a place where they could send their wounded soldiers for immediate medical attention, without sending them all the way back to Rome. They created something called a Valetudinaria, which was basically the first temporary military hospital. Archeologists have found at least 25 Valetudinaria’s near Rome. In Rome, surgery was a common yet complicated process. The right tools to perform this type of surgery were made finely. The blacksmiths in Rome made better surgical tools than some did in the Renaissance (1,200 years later). The tools made by the Romans were made with such perfection that surgeons could still use them today. Scientists have found many surgical tools in the city of Pompeii, Italy. When Mt. Vesuvius erupted in 79 A.D., most of the tools were buried under a body of ash and that is what preserved them for all of these centuries. In Pompeii, Italy, scientists have found an ingenious device that was made for extracting spears and arrowheads. It was a spoon shaped instrument that would be placed behind the wound. It would make a shield around the barb, removing the spear or arrowhead without causing further damage. It is unclear if Roman doctors performed plastic surgery, but scientists do know that the Romans did like to wear heavy earring and there was a surgical procedure to fix the drooping earlobe. Even though it seems like Romans were not the most intelligent people they really did know a lot about the inside of the human body. The Ancient Romans have taught the doctors today a lot about medicine. Galen who discovered the test taking of the pulse, and Cornelius who was the first daring Roman to perform eye surgery and so many other great doctors. If it weren’t for the doctors in Rome people could have gotten very bad sicknesses or been hurt really bad and have nobody to treat it. In my opinion medicine in not only Ancient Rome but the whole world is the most important aspect to living.  Works Cited Woods, Michael/Mary B. Woods. Runestone Press 1946 //Ancient Medicine from sorcery to surgery.// MN. 2008 "Roman methods of diagnosis and treatments." __BBC__. Jan 5. 2008//"//The history of Medicine//." __Grolier Online Encyclopedia__//. 1st Ed.: 2008