FUNCTIONAL ANATOMY OF THE HEART

ANATOMY OF THE ATRIUM

The Golden Age of Indian Medicine was between

800BC to 600AD.

Learned men from different countries such as China, Tibet,

Afganisthan, the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Persians

came to the Indian Ayurvedic Schools to learn about this

World Medicine.

Ayurvedic texts were translated into Arabic by the

physicians like Avicenna and  Razi Sempion , both of

them quoted Indian Ayurvedic texts and established

Islamic medicine "Unani System".

This Indian Ayurvedic System became popular in Europe

and helped to form the foundation of the European

tradition of medicine.

Ayurveda grew tremendously during Buddhist Kings

like King  Ashoka (226 BC), who patronized Ayurveda

as State Medicine and established Schools of Medicine

and Hospitals.

Charaka (200AD), the most popular name in Ayurveda

medicine was the Court Physician to the Buddhist

King Kaniska during Buddhist time.

Due to the  doctrine of “Ahinsa” (non- violence) Indian

Surgery suffered a setback.

With the advent of Muslims in India, Hindu Medicine

eroded  due to the lack of State help and support by

the rulers.

Unani system of medicine was introduced into India by

the Muslim rulers. By the 13^th, Century Unani system of

medicine was firmly established mainly in Delhi, Aligarh,

Lucknow and Hyderabad.

During Mugal period and subsequent years Ayurveda

declined due to the lack of state support.

With the advent of the British in the 18^th Century Ayurveda

system was revived in India along with Western system of

Medicine.

Chinese medicine claims to be the world's first organised

body of medical knowledge dating back to 2700 BC.

The Chinese system of 'bare foot doctors", and

acupuncture anaesthesia have attracted world-wide

attention.

Like prehistoric medicine in India, Egyptian medicine was

also dates from 2000BC.

Edwin Smith papyrus of 1600 BC described fractures,

dislocation, infection of wounds, tumors etc.

The best known medical manuscript is the Ebers

papyrus (1500BC) found with the Mummy on the bank of

the Nile.

It mentions coryza, disease of the bones and joints,

tumors, disease of the gastrointestinal tract, female

genitalia, eye etc.

Egyptians had no foundation of anatomical knowledge.

Alexandria in Egypt had their medical schools in

temples of their  God of Medicine Imhotep.

All doctors were paid by the State.

Homer  while speaking of the doctors of the ancient

world, considered the Egyptians to be the best of all.

Egyptian medicine dominated for about 2500 years

when it  was replaced by the Greek medicine.

The Greek invaded Asia minor and were influenced

by the medical knowledge of Mesopotamia and Egypt.

Early leader in Greek medicine, Asculapius (2000BC)

was the Greek god of medicine.

The staff of Asculapius with a single serpent coiled

around it represents the Medical Profession.

Modern winged staff with twin snakes around a single

staff  is the “wand of Hermes” (Greek messenger god or

Roman god Mercury).

Greatest Greek physician Hippocrates(460 - 370BC) set a

high standard of moral behaviour for medical man.

When the pupil of Hippocrates became doctors they

had to swear an oath:

 " Thou would help the sick according to

their ability and judgement, never give poisons,

not tell other people what their patients had told

them and keep both themselves and their

profession pure".

This "Oath of Hippocrates" still goes by "International Oath".

It sets a high moral standard for the medical profession

and demand absolute integrity of doctors. The Greek

civilization fell into decay and was succeeded

by the Roman civilization by the 1st Century BC.

The Roman borrowed their medicine from the Greeks.

Celsus (25BC  to 50 AD) has given us the cardinal signs

of inflammation.

Galen (13 to 105 AD) was the pioneer of Experimental

Medicine.

He observed that the disease was due to:

1. Predisposing factors
2. Exciting factors and
3. Environmental factors.

This is the true modern idea. His writings were

accepted as standard text books in medicine for

centuries after his death.

With the fall of Roman Empire, Roman school of medicine

disappeared.

The practice of medicine reverted back to primitive

medicine dominated by superstition and dogma.

This  period (500 to 1500 AD.) is called the "Dark

Age of Medicine".  During this period Arabs stole a march

over the rest of the civilization.

Graeco - Roman Medical literature was translated

into Arabic and they developed their own system

of medicine known as "Unani System of Medicine".

They founded medical schools and hospitals in Baghdad,

Damascus, Cairo and other Muslim capitals.

"The Golden Age of Arabian Medicine" was between 800

to1300AD. Medical historians admit that there was

interchange of thought and experience between Hindu,

Arab, Persian ,Greek and Jewish scholars.

Gradual spread of Christianity led to the establishment

of religious institutions known as "Monasteries" headed

by religious leaders known as monks, saints and abbotts.

These Monasteries also rendered active medical and

nursing care to the sick.

As human knowledge advanced, medicine was revived

by Paracelsus (1490-1541), who removed superstition and

dogma in medicine.

Vesalius (1514 - 1564) did a lot of dissections on the

human body and demonstrated some of Galen’s  error.