Old World History Document Analysis

According to document 4, in India many people of the Hindu faith refused any treatments for the virus due to their belief that influenza was sent by the goddess Amman. In some cases the monotheistic Christians also operated under the belief that the pandemic was God's will (doc. 8). Both of these examples show evidence that if not for religion, people would perhaps have, in some instances, have been more willing to partake in treatment which could have saved their lives. Document 5, however chronicals a slightly modified point of view, from a Christian Scientist. While most would argue that avoided the close confines of churches would be helpful to controlling the spread of influenza, Christian Scientist believe that prayer has the power to cure all illnesses, "At the very moment when churches should be filling the minds of people with peace...it is proposed that these churches be shut... for fear the Lord's arm is so shortened that He cannot contend with microbes" (doc. 5) This again proves that people would be willing to risk (and perhaps surrender) their lives and the lives of those around them for their religious

We find that the “oldest written sources of western medicine are The Hippocratic writings from the 5th and 4th centuries BC; which covers all aspects of medicine at that time and contain numerous medical terms.”(Wulff) This was the beginning of the Greek era of the language of medicine, which lasted even after the Roman

From the early prehistoric society until now, we often heard the word “adaptation”, which means the process of changing something or changing our behavior to deal with new situations. The ways people adjust their natural environment varies according to time, place, and tribe. Foraging is common way of adaptation that people uses for most of human history; however because of the population pressure, some people adopt agriculture to fulfill their need. This essay, will discuss the positive and negative aspects of life in hunting and gathering societies compared to the agricultural societies based on Martin Harris’ article “Murders in Eden” and Jared Diamond’s article “The Worst Mistake in the History of Human Race.”

These religious and spiritual influences play a major role in the Hispanics health, illness and daily life. In much a similar manner, the Native American Indian family adopts the cultural beliefs to associate with illness and health. They believe that a person’s state of exists when he or she exists in harmony with nature and sickness occurs when an imbalance between the natural or supernatural forces and the sick individual exists (Askim-Lovseth & Aldana, 2010). Traditional health believes and practices involving healing ceremonies and rituals restore balance when illness happens. “These can be conducted by their traditional medicine men or women, who are thought to have compelling powers, the ability to read minds, and know-how in concocting medicine, drugs and poisons.” For the white young family, the cultural belief of invincibility and youth are the driving force behind health prevention (Askim-Lovseth & Aldana, 2010). “Focus on the temporary is regularised, while thinking about health is assigned to an adult person where family accountabilities pertain.” Protecting against illness or disease does not feature into their daily lives. Disease or illness is something that is insubstantial and distant, and unimaginable to their young, resilient bodies and thus irrelevant (Edelman & Mandle, 2010).

“What doesn’t kill us, makes us stronger” (p. 28). In the scientific novel Survival of the Sickest by Sharon Moalem with Jonathan Prince, self-acclaimed “Medical Maverick” Dr. Moalem makes in-depth analyses of current human diseases that, ironically, may have led to the survival of mankind in the past. He presents a novel concept that greatly contradicts what have been universally accepted beliefs surrounding biology and the process of human evolution for a long time. With the use of myriad scientific studies and research, he formulates surprising theories about a positive correlation between disease and humanity. Moalem narrates the scientific world’s findings that strongly exemplify his assertions, however arbitrary they may seem at first. Three of the diseases that he examines, hemochromatosis, Type 1 diabetes, and favism, could have been particularly useful for resistance against other illnesses and survival in a historically harsh environment.

In the meantime, he invented quite a quantity of surgical instruments, a lot of which are still in use, such as the syringe, forceps and bone saw. He also introduced the use of catgut, thread made from animal intestines, which was ideal for internal stitchings as it could be absorbed in the body. 'the Canon of Medicine' set the standards for medicine for both the Islamic and Western worlds and was a standard textbook of medicine in Europe for more than 500 years. So progressive are the contents that some of its principles taught in universities today. It is evident that 'Canon of Medicine' was an advanced book for its time (primary source) Ibn-Sina also influenced the public’s health by stressing the importance of hygiene and a healthy

This is one area which contrasts greatly with the native cultures. The Indians of the Americas were far ahead of the Europeans of their time. Because of the closeness and respect for nature, many natural cures were used. The Aztecs had even gone as far as surgery to remove organs and even work on the brain. The Indians also took much better care of themselves pysically. This was done by a better diet and exercise. In some cultures a type of martial arts was taught beginning in adolesence, to keep in shape both mentally and pysically. Despite all of these advancements, they were powerless to the new and unfamilliar European diseases.

Before logical thought was regularly applied to functions of the human body, people made sense of daily misfortunes by attributing them to the moods and wills of the gods. In the minds of the Greek, afflictions were the result of disobedience and to live in good health was a blessing that only divine intervention could provide (History of Medicine 1). Asclepius, the Greek god of medicine and healing, was often the one called upon in times of need. Asclepian temples were constructed in Greece and in the surrounding areas, and these sites of worship also became the centers of healing; Ill Grecians undertook lengthy pilgrimages to the temples in hopes that the God’s supposed restorative powers could ameliorate their tribulations (Greek Medicine 1). An orator at that time, Aeschines reported his encounter with godly healing by praising Asclepius: “No longer counting upon mortal skill, I placed all my hope in divinity. I came, Asclepius, into your sacred wood and I was cured in three of a wound I had in my head for a year” (Palatine Anthology 13). When cures were not left up to the divine, the rituals to rid a body of disease were primitive and mainly consisted of attempts to expel demons (Longrigg 14-16). Although the idea that sickness and religion are intertwined is

Dr. Sharon Moalem, the author of Survival of the Sickest, provides a fascinating glimpse into the idea that modern human diseases that afflict us actually have a significant role in the selection and the existence of our ancestors. Before reading this book, I was used to thinking of diseases as disorders that adversely affect a person. While this may be the case for most individuals, Moalem explained in his book that that there’s an underlying connection between various diseases and longevity of a species. He explained how these diseases helped fight against more life threatening situations such as the Bubonic Plague, malaria, and the ice age. Most importantly, I learned that evolution did not necessarily favor adaptations that make us better, but those that help us survive, even if these adaptations would kill us in the long run.

People living in sedentary villages in the Neolithic experienced worsened health and mortality. Sedentary life brought with it sanitation problems like garbage and human waste accumulate, which contributed to disease. The close association between humans and animals was also key to the transmission of many infectious diseases. Higher mortality rates were offset by increased fertility. (Haviland et al 2011: 249)

Hunters and gatherers did not really get sick since they were always moving from place to place. Than agriculture people started staying in one place and their population started growing. When everyone is all together and you stay in one place disease and sickness starts its way through. An advantage for hunters and gatherers was they always were moving so not a lot of sickness would stay with them and they did not really have kids to slow them down. A disadvantage for agriculture is they stay in one place so if a sickness broke out it would stay with them and their

The optimal health is equally important in every culture, but the reaction towards situation requiring decision-making about health can be different in every culture. Muslim receives illness and death with patience and prayers. They consider illness as punishment for their sins. They also consider death as a part of a journey to meet God. However, they are strongly encouraged to seek medical help when required. The concept of health maintenance has a significant importance in Islam; there are some foods that are not permit like pork and alcohol. Cleanliness has a high importance. Circumcision of male infant is recommended. ("," October, 17th 2012) Where as, in Hispanic and Mexican culture health maintenance is supported mainly by using folk medicine. Mexican believe their health problems may be a result of god’s will, or they may not have the resources for conventional care and turn only to traditional healers, such as curanderos, or herbal remedies to treat their ailments. ("," ) There are other barriers for Mexicans to

Unlike Anna Comnena, Ibn Sina wrote his book “The Canon of Medicine” which is the most impactful book of medicine written by a Muslim physician. In his book he wrote about medicines, symptoms, diseases, treatments, etc. and was even accurate about the description of an eye. His book was based solely on the science of medicine for further use of doctors to attend and help those with diseases or pains

However, they did not indiscriminately follow Hippocrates and Galen, adapting instead the analytical approach of the classical writers to produce their own rational, structured and logical accounts of medical practice. Ibn Sina’s Canon of Medicine, for example, whilst following in the Hippocratic tradition, offers a far more meticulous and systematic account of humoral theory (Ibn Sina in Brunton (2008), p186). Ibn Sina’s Canon of Medicine is possibly the most famous example of a systemised medical compendia, that, according to Brunton, sets ‘practice firmly on a theoretical basis, which allowed practitioners to approach the process of diagnosing and treating patients on a logical footing’ (Brunton (2008),

Since the beginning of civilization humanity has adopted a subjugating stance toward nature. Ecological exploitation has become the de facto standard, contributing to the illusion of self-subsistence provided by modern society. This mindset is untenable given humanities reliance on the natural world, as best demonstrated by the critical importance of various parts of the environment to humanities continued existence. This includes the importance of biodiversity to medicinal advancement and climate adaptation, the role of insects in the renewal of the biosphere, and the importance of the environment for humanities psychological health.