History of Medicine
History of Medicine
History of Medicine
HISTORY OF MEDICINE
LESSON 1. MEDICINE AS A SCIENCE
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Medical care consists of three main elements: the first is the diagnosis or identification of disease
or injury; the second is the treatment of disease or injury; the third is the promotion of health and
prevention of disease.
Medical care is provided by a variety of specially trained people. Doctors take charge of treating
the sick. Nurses help doctors to care for patients. Other trained workers also help to provide health
care.
In ancient times people believed that diseases were caused by the evil spirits or due to the anger
of the gods. So the earliest “cures” were prayers and use of magic.
In ancient civilization medical advice came not only from healers, but from the folk wisdom of
many generations. Folk medicine prescribed a dirty sock around the neck if you wanted to cure the
common cold or a pair of shoes placed upside down under the bed to relieve leg cramps. Tobacco
juice was supposed to heal an earache and black pepper to cure asthma. Folklore was also full of
warnings. Amulets were trusted medical devices.
However it is surprising that many medical ideas, techniques and medications which are still
used today originated in civilizations hundreds and thousands of years old.
Some medical discoveries of curative value were made by prehistoric and ancient people. As far
back as 10,000 years ago, prehistoric healers performed trephining, in which a hole was cut in the
patient's skull to relieve pressure on the brain.
Fragments of pre-Christian Egyptian writing describe a routine scheme from the patient's
symptoms to physical examination and then to suggested therapy and prognosis. The Babylonian
Code of Hammurabi, dated 2040 B.C., contains statements about the proper conduct of physicians
and prescribes punishments for malpractice. In India, early medical people discovered the
relationship between malaria and mosquitoes, the discovery of more than 700 medicinal plants and
the invention of more than 100 surgical instruments was done in ancient times.
In the fifth century A.D., great Indian physician Susruta was treating fractures, removing
tumours, and delivering babies by Caesarian section.
In China, acupuncture has been a part of Chinese medicine since ancient times. Originally it was
used to treat diseases; nowadays acupuncture's effectiveness in controlling chronic pain has become
more widely used. Scientists believe that the needles may stimulate the brain to produce morphine
like painkillers called endorphins and encephalin.
Hippocrates, the ancient physician commonly considered the father of medicine, was born in
Greece in 460 B.C. He supposed that disease had only natural causes. Though its authorship is
unknown, the famous Hippocratic Oath is named for him. His medical observations became well-
known in the Western world and physicians are still required to take the Hippocratic Oath and they
promise to maintain the utmost respect for human life and to respect the confidentiality of the doctor-
patient relationship. Hippocrates was the first to separate art and science of medicine from the
practice of religion.
In the second century A.D., Greek physician Galen insisted that the study of anatomy is a basis
for medical facts.
3. Match the following Ukrainian word combination with the English one
4. Read the text "Medicine as a science" and answer the following questions
5. Form a noun from each verb below. Use a dictionary for help
1) prescribe – 5) treat –
2) examine – 6) cure –
3) bleed – 7) breath –
4) control – 8) diagnose –
6. Fill in the gaps with one of the words from the box
7. Match the words that mean the same. Use a dictionary if necessary
1) examine a) prediction
2) illness b) operation
3) instruments c) method, way
4) physician d) utensils, tools
5) procedure e) inspect, look at
6) prognosis f) disease
7) surgery g) doctor
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8. Match the definition with the words
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LESSON 2. HISTORY OF MEDICINE
3. Choose the proper continuation on the right. Translate the sentences into Ukrainian
1) Ancient Egyptian doctors knew that the a) into the bandages for the treatment of
body had a pulse, … inflammation.
2) The aim of public health in Ancient Egypt b) They could successfully fix broken bones and
was to … dislocated joints.
3) Egyptian physicians had excellent c) and its reputation spread to neighboring
bandages and would bind certain plant countries.
products such as willow leaves …
4) The Egyptians were treating intestinal d) and that it was associated with the function of
disease and parasites, … the heart.
5) Egyptian physicians were trained and good e) eye and skin problems, and even abscesses and
at practical first aid. … tumors.
6) Egyptian medicine reached a very high f) protect the community from the spread of
standard … disease, and to keep everybody as healthy as
possible.
4. Complete the sentences by choosing appropriate words or expressions from the box.
Translate the completed sentences into Ukrainian
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affected part, heart beat, dentistry, disease, pulse,
patients, lungs, embalming, diagnosis, examination
5. Complete the sentences by choosing appropriate words or expressions from the box.
Translate the completed sentences into Ukrainian
1) human a) illness
2) herbal b) microscope
3) cellular c) rate
4) pulse d) wound
5) papyrus e) searches
6) treatment of f) practical first aid
7) archaeological g) remedy
8) compound h) biology
9) to be good at i) document
10) to stitch j) disease
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7. Read and translate the text
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8. Fill in the gaps in the text
A) During the Middle Ages many 1) … were built in Europe. In the middle of 14 th century the
bubonic plague killed one-fourth of the European 2) … and the 3) … tried to find effective methods
of dealing with 4)… This marked the beginning of the 5) … to medicine.
B) During the Renaissance, laws forbidding the 1) … of human body were relaxed and as a result, the
first accurate textbook on 2) … was published. Dissection enables 3) … to identify the 4) … and its
circulatory system, the major 5) …, the 6) … and other digestive organs.
C) In 1545, the first 1) … was opened in London. 2) … of medicine had been administed prior to this
time, but the establishment of this shop indicates means of treating 3) … .Today, many thousands of
4) … are used to treat illness.
D) The 1) … was invented in 1590. Laboratory 2) … use it regularly to analyze 3) …, urine and 4)
…. Their reports help physicians to make the 5) … of a disease.
E) In the early 1600s, English 1) … William Harvey discovered how 2) … circulates in the body and
published the first 3) … describing this circulation and the role of the 4) …. In 1667, the first blood
5) … was performed.
F) In the 19th century, modern 1) … was made possible by two revolutionary discoveries: the
invention of safe methods of 2) … and the control of wound 3) … by the use of 4) … and sterile
equipment. In 1895, Roentgen discovered the 5) … to detect abnormalities inside the 6) ….
G) The 20th century has brought medical advances in nearly every area of 1) …. Open-heart 2) … has
been developed. Organ 3) … are often successful. The 4) … electroencephalogram and computed 5)
… help physicians to detect heart and 6) … malfunctions.
H) Due to early 1) … and more effective 2) … more and more cancer victims are surviving. 3) …
helps to make more accurate diagnosis and more effective treatment. Lasers become very helpful in
4) …. As people change their 5) … and their environment new diseases appear. That’s why health
workers always search for better 6) …
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9. Read the text "History of Medicine part 2" and answer the following questions
1) Why is the period from about 500 A.D. to about 1000 A.D. called Dark Ages?
2) When were many hospitals built in Europe?
3) What helped to publish the first accurate textbook on human anatomy?
4) When was the first pharmacy opened?
5) How did the invention of the microscope help physicians to make accurate diagnosis of a
disease?
6) Who discovered the role of the heart and blood circulation?
7) When was the first blood transfusion performed?
8) What became a common medical practice in the 19th century?
9) What medical advances were achieved in the 20th century?
10. Match English word-combinations to the Ukrainian ones and use some of them in the
sentences of your own
A
1) archeological searches a) особиста гігієна
2) treatment of disease b) робити внесок у
3) to make input into c) проводити операцію
4) to introduce a program d) археологічні пошуки
5) public health e) добре відомий лікар
6) personal hygiene f) запровадити програму
7) to keep fit g) робити внесок в медицину
8) to perform an operation h) лікування захворювання
9) well-known doctor i) підтримувати форму
10) to make the contribution to medicine j) здоров’я суспільства
B
1) the cause of a disease a) медики-науковці
2) to cure disease b) високий кров’яний тиск
3) physicians-scientists c) медичні засоби
4) computed tomography d) причина хвороби
5) health lifestyle e) ефективне лікування
6) high blood pressure f) рак
7) effective treatment g) комп’ютерна томографія
8) heart attack h) інфаркт
9) cancer i) здоровий спосіб життя
10) medical devices j) вилікувати хворобу
C
1) scientific experiment a) бути під впливом
2) modern medicine b) науковий експеримент
3) рlague c) фітотерапія
4) make accurate diagnosis d) чума
5) herbal medicine e) курс лікування
6) to be influenced by f) поставити точний діагноз
7) to make a diagnose g) сучасна медицина
8) a course of treatment h) клятва Гіппократа
9) medical advances i) ставити діагноз
10) Hippocratic Оath j) прогрес в галузі медицини
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LESSON 3. HIPPOCRATES – THE FATHER OF MODERN MEDICINE
ACTIVE VOCABULARY
Word/word Pronunciation Translation
combination/phrase
clinical observation ˈklɪnɪk(ə)l ˌɒbzə(r)ˈveɪʃ(ə)n
conduct an experiment kənˈdʌkt ən ɪkˈsperɪmənt
consider kənˈsɪdə(r)
cope with kəʊp wɪð
found faʊnd
founder ˈfaʊndə(r)
Hippocratic Oath hɪˈpɒkɹəˌtiːz əʊθ
medicine ˈmed(ə)s(ə)n
outstanding aʊtˈstændɪŋ
physiology ˌfɪziˈɒlədʒi
pneumonia njuːˈməʊniə
religion rɪˈlɪdʒ(ə)n
separate ˈsep(ə)rət
symptom ˈsɪmptəm
Greek doctors had started to look at the issue of poor health and disease by using a process of
reasoning and observation. The most famous of these was Hippocrates.
Hippocrates was born in Greece in 460 B.C.
Hippocrates was an ancient Greek physician and is
considered one of the most outstanding figures in the
history of medicine. He is considered the father of
medicine. He is the founder of the Hippocratic School of
Medicine. This intellectual school revolutionized medicine
in ancient Greece, establishing medicine as a profession.
Hippocrates was the first who believed that diseases
were caused naturally. He collected data and conducted
experiments to show that disease was a natural process and
was caused by the natural reactions of the body to the
disease process. He based his medical practice on
observations and on the study of the human body. He held
the belief that illness had a physical and a rational
explanation. He accurately described disease symptoms and was the first physician to accurately
describe the symptoms of pneumonia as well as epilepsy in children. He noted that there were
individual differences in the severity of disease symptoms and that some individuals were better able
to cope with their disease and illness than others. He was also the first physician that held the belief
that thoughts, ideas, and feelings come from the brain and not the heart as others of his time believed.
Hippocrates was the first to separate the discipline of medicine from religion. He believed and
argued that disease was not a punishment inflicted by the gods but rather the product of
environmental factors, diet, and living habits.
Medicine at the time of Hippocrates knew almost nothing of human anatomy and physiology
because of the Greek taboo forbidding the dissection of humans. But The Hippocratic School
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achieved greater success by applying general diagnoses and treatments. Its focus was on patient care
and prognosis, not diagnosis. It could effectively treat diseases and allowed for a great development
in clinical practice. Hippocrates recommended that physicians record their findings and their
medicinal methods, so that these records may be passed down and employed by other physicians.
Hippocrates and other Greek doctors believed that the work done by a doctor should be kept
separate from the work done by a priest. They believed that observation of a patient was a vital aspect
of medical care. Ancient Greek doctors did examine their patients but Hippocrates wanted a more
systematic period of observation and the recording of what was observed. Today, we would call this
“clinical observation”.
Hippocrates travelled throughout Greece practicing his medicine. He founded a medical school
on the island of Kos, Greece and began teaching his ideas. He soon developed an Oath of Medical
Ethics for physicians to follow. This Oath is taken by physicians today as they begin their medical
practice. He died in 377 BC. Today Hippocrates is known as the "Father of Medicine".
1. Hippocrates was a Greek physician born … -460 ВС … the island .. Cost Greece,
2. He became known as the founder ... medicine.
3. He based his medical practice ... observations and ... the study ... the human body.
4. He believed ... the natural healing process ... rest, a good diet, fresh air and cleanliness.
5. He noted that some individuals were better able to cope ... their disease and illness than others.
6. He founded a medical school... the island of Cost, Greece.
7. This Oath is taken ... physicians today as they begin their medical practice.
8. He died... 377 ВС.
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LESSON 4. FLORENCE NIGHTINGALE
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LESSON 5. ROBERT KOCH, EDWARD JENNER
ROBERT KOCH
(1843 - 1910)
Robert Koch was a prominent German bacteriologist, the
founder of modern microbiology. He was born in 1843, died in
1910. When Koch became a doctor he carried on many
experiments on mice in a small laboratory. In 1882 he discovered
tuberculosis bacilli (the bacteria responsible for tuberculosis).
Being a scientific investigator of the first rank, Robert Koch
obtained a position in Berlin in the Imperial Health Office, where
he set up a laboratory in bacteriology. With his collaborators, he
devised new research methods to isolate pathogenic bacteria. Koch
determined guidelines to prove that a disease is caused by a
specific organism. In his report made in the Berlin Physiological
Society Koch described the morphology of tuberculosis bacilli and the ways to reveal them. Due to
his discovery Koch became known all over the world.
In 1883 Koch went to Egypt to study cholera. At that time there was a widespread epidemic of
cholera. The disease spread very rapidly from one place to another and thousands of healthy people
died. Nobody knew the origin of this disease; there were not any protective measures against it.
Koch carried out his investigation during the cholera epidemic in Egypt and then in India. In
1884 Koch published his book on cholera which included the investigation of his research work.
From the intestines of the men with cholera Koch isolated a small comma-shaped bacterium. He
determined that these bacteria spread through drinking water. In 1905 Koch got the Nobel Prize for
his important scientific discoveries.
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3. Complete the sentences
4. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate word or words combination from the box
5. Complete the following list with the names of specialists in particular fields
Science scientist
Chemistry ________
Physics ________
Microbiology ________
Surgery ________
Physiology ________
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7. Read and translate the text
EDWARD JENNER
(1749 - 1823)
Also known as the “Father of Immunology”, Edward Anthony Jenner
was an English scientist and is famous for his discovery of smallpox
vaccine. This was the first successful vaccine and the only effective
preventive treatment for the fatal smallpox disease. His discovery was an
enormous medical breakthrough and has saved countless lives.
Edward Jenner was born on May 17, 1749, in Berkely, England. As a
child, Jenner was a keen observer of nature and in 1770 he went to St.
George’s Hospital, London to study anatomy and surgery. After finishing his studies, he returned to
Berkeley and spent most the rest of his career as a doctor in his native town.
Jenner worked in a rural society where most of his patients
were farmers or worked on farms with cattle. In the 18th
century Smallpox was considered to be the most deadly and
persistent human pathogenic disease.
In 1796 as a forward-thinking doctor who liked to
experiment, Jenner conducted an experiment on one of his
patients called James Phipps, an eight year old boy. In 1796 he
inserted pus taken from Sarah Nelmes, a milkmaid with
cowpox, into a cut made in the arm of a local boy. James became ill but after a few days made a full
recovery with no side effects. He was found to be immune. It seemed that Jenner had made a
brilliant discovery. Jenner did not patent his discovery as it would have made the vaccination more
expensive. It was his gift to the world.
9. Fill in the gaps with the appropriate word or words combination from the box
thanks to, against, at, vaccination, for, put off, from
Edward Jenner’s great gift to the world was his 1) … for smallpox. He was the first doctor to
vaccinate people 2) … smallpox. Today, we are safe 3) … smallpox, thanks to Edward Jenner. A
disease that once killed thousands of people every year was beaten, 4) … his work. Some people
laughed 5) … his ideas, but Jenner was not 6) … . And people all over the world are grateful 7) …
what he did.
10. Find in the texts the English equivalents for the following Ukrainian word combination
1) питна вода
2) наукове відкриття
3) відкрити лабораторію
4) бути спричиненим (чимось)
5) проводити експеримент
6) побічна дія
7) захисні заходи
8) отримати Нобелівську премію
9) дослідницький метод
10) патогенний мікроорганізм
11) наукова робота
12) вакцина проти віспи
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LESSON 6. HISTORY OF MEDICINE IN UKRAINE
ACTIVE VOCABULARY
Word/word Pronunciation Translation
combination/phrase
asthma ˈæsmə
bacteriological station bækˌtɪəriˈɒ lɒdʒɪk(ə)l
ˈsteɪʃ(ə)n
blood circulation blʌd ˌsɜː(r)kjʊˈleɪʃ(ə)n
bronchitis brɒŋˈkaɪtɪs
epidemiologist ˌepɪdiːmiˈɒlədʒist
epidemiology ˌepɪdiːmiˈɒlədʒi
folk medicine fəʊk ˈmed(ə)s(ə)n
heal hiːl
heart-lung machine hɑː(r)t lʌŋ məˈʃiːn
herb hɜː(r)b
manuscript ˈmænjʊˌskrɪpt
medical staff ˈmedɪk(ə)l stɑːf
military hospital ˈmɪlɪt(ə)ri ˈhɒspɪt(ə)l
monastery ˈmɒnəst(ə)ri
obstetrician ˌɒbstəˈtrɪʃ(ə)n
ophthalmologist ˌɒfθælˈmɒlədʒɪst
remedy ˈremədi
scientist ˈsaɪəntɪst
Traditional medicine goes back to ancient times. People lived on the territory of Ukraine
thousands of years ago. It’s quite probable that they used herbs, minerals and other natural remedies
to treat most disease. Their knowledge was passed down from generation to generation before it was
described in manuscripts and books.
The history of medicine in Ukraine begins with the history of folk medicine.
The first medical hospitals in Kyiv Rus were founded in the 11th century and were mostly in
the form of alms houses attached to churches.
In the 11th century the Kyive-Pechersk Lavra became a real centre of culture. It was also the
place where the first doctors began to treat their patients. The most famous doctor of that time was
Agapetus of Pechersk. He was born in Kyiv and became a monk and later a doctor. A lot of people
came to see him. He was known for his skill and he never took any money from the poor. The
Chronicles say that he healed Volodymyr Monomakh when the prince was close to death. Agapetus
died in 1095 and was buried in the Pechersk caves.
In the 14th and 15th centuries new hospitals were built and many physicians gave the first aid to
the inhabitants of Ukraine and the soldiers of Bogdan Khmelnytsky's troops.
In the 15th—17th centuries, life in the Zaporizhian Sich was marked by military campaigns and
battles. At the end of the 16th century the main Military hospitals were in monasteries. Monasteries
took care over the Cossacks. Those were the first military hospitals in Ukraine.
The Cossacks were keen followers of the medical traditions of the past. Cossacks medicine is
very interesting. Their practice of medicine is full of mysteries and legends. Pauline, thyme, mint,
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borschivnyk were the main components of content of Cossack pipe. That is why Cossacks almost
never were sick with asthma and bronchitis.
Kyiv-Mohyla academy played a significant role in the preparing of medical staff, with
organization of hospital’s medical schools. During 14 years (1784-1798) more than 300 persons who
were studying at academy, entered medical schools. The Academy was first opened in 1615 as the
Kyiv Brotherhood School. Many graduates of the Academy continued to enrich their knowledge
abroad and received their doctors' degrees there. Many former students of this Academy have become
the well-known scientists. They are the epidemiologist D. S. Samoilovych, the obstetrician N. M.
Ambodyk-Maximovych, the anatomist O. Shumlyansky and many others.
In 1686 the first bacteriological station was organized in Odessa which was of great importance
in the development of microbiology and epidemiology.
At the end of the I8th and during the 19th centuries the medical departments were formed at the
Universities of Kharkiv, Kyiv, Lviv and Odesa. The total number of physicians has increased in
Ukraine.
During the Crimean War (1854-1856), upon Pirogov's initiative the first detachment of nurses
was trained and sent to Sevastopol to help its defenders. It gave the beginning of the organization
"Red Cross".
heart-lung machine, treatment, lung resections, defects, heart surgeon, blood, surgical
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LESSON 7. MYKOLA PIROGOV, DANYLO ZABOLOTNYI
1. Learn the following words
ACTIVE VOCABULARY
Word/word Pronunciation Translation
combination/phrase
abdominal aorta æbˈdɒmɪn(ə)l eɪˈɔː(r)tə
amputation æmpjʊˈteɪʃ(ə)n
anaesthetic ˌænəsˈθetɪk
anatomical atlas ˌænəˈtɒmɪk(ə)l ˈætləs
aorta obstruction eɪˈɔː(r)tə əbˈstrʌkʃ(ə)n
apply plaster cast əˈplaɪ ˈplɑːstə(r) kɑːst
army surgeon ˈɑː(r)mi ˈsɜː(r)dʒ(ə)n
blood circulation blʌd ˌsɜː(r)kjʊˈleɪʃ(ə)n
bone bəʊn
circulatory disturbances ˌsɜː(r)kjʊˈleɪt(ə)ri dɪ
ˈstɜː(r)bənses
complication kɒmplɪˈkeɪʃ(ə)n
diphtheria dɪpˈθɪəriə
dysentery ˈdɪs(ə)ntri
epidemiologist ˌepɪdiːmiˈɒlədʒist
ether ˈiːθə(r)
field surgery fiːld ˈsɜː(r)dʒəri
fracture ˈfræktʃə(r)
gangrene ˈɡæŋɡriːn
ground-breaking ɡraʊnd bɹeɪkɪŋ
perform operation pə(r)ˈfɔː(r)m ˌɒpəˈreɪʃ(ə)n
plague pleɪɡ
plaster casts ˈplɑːstə(r) kɑːst
save seɪv
scientific research scientific rɪˈsɜː(r)tʃ
surgeon ˈsɜː(r)dʒ(ə)n
typhus ˈtaɪfəs
vaccine ˈvæksiːn
wound wuːnd
wounded ˈwuːndɪd
4. Fill in the gaps in the sentences with appropriate word or word combination
6. Fill in the gaps in the sentences with appropriate word or word combination
1) All his life Zabolotnyu learned the ways of spreading of the plague and its ….
2) During his expedition to Mongolia, Zabolotnyu got ….
3) He learned syphilis, and 2 years before Shaudin and Hoffman … treponema palladium, but didn’t
publish about his ….
4) In1898 he established the first department of … in Petersburg women medical institute, which
was headed by him for a long time.
5) Much work was done for the learning of … diseases.
6) In 1922 Zabolotnyu became the … of the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, and in 1928– it’s
president.
7) Zabolotnyu organized the Institute of the …, which is named after him now.
8) A special attention he drew to the widespread of the ... among the population.
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