Most people have heard of the outstanding physician Hippocrates and his famous oath. But much less is known about Shennun, Avicenna and Andreas Vesalius - lesser-known scientists who changed the history of medicine. Their achievements still influence medical science today.
Shen-nong
There was a god among the ancient doctors. His name was Shen-nong.
Shen-nong.
He was a deity in the Chinese religion, a healer, mythical sage and ruler of prehistoric China. He is also believed to have perfected the therapeutic understanding of pulse measurement and the practice of moxibustion (the medicinal practice of burning wormwood on certain parts of the body). Shennong lived from 2737 to 2697 BC.
Legends say that he looked like a man, but at the same time he had a transparent belly, thanks to which he could see what was happening to the plants that he swallowed. He is said to have eaten hundreds of plants, using his body to research their medicinal properties.
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Abu al-Qasim al-Zahrawi (Albucasis)
Albucasis was born in 936 AD, during the Islamic Golden Age, in Madina al-Zahra, Andalusia, Spain. He received the patronage of the ruler and was recognized as a medical genius. For over 50 years he served as a court physician.
Az-Zahrawi.
Az-Zahrawi insisted on visiting patients regardless of their financial condition. Describing his treatment, he left behind a valuable medical treatise at-Tasrif. This is a very important work in the history of medicine, as it has been the standard reference for Islamic and European medicine for over half a century. Albucasis wrote about how to diagnose diseases, and noted that a good doctor should always rely on his observations of the patient and his symptoms, and not just take what the patient says on faith.
However, the most significant part of at-Tasrif is the 30th volume, devoted to surgery. It was thanks to this work that Az-Zahrawi was named “The Father of Modern Surgery”. This volume contained detailed explanations of some of the operations, about 200 descriptions and illustrations of surgical instruments (the earliest of their kind in history), as well as a number of innovations that were widely used in operating rooms.
Galen of Pergamon
Galen of Pergamon was one of the most famous physicians of the Roman Empire. His medical works retained their importance not only for the Roman world, but also for the Islamic, as well as for medieval Europe.
Galen of Pergamon.
After living abroad for several years, Galen returned to Pergamum in 157 AD, where he was appointed physician of gladiators. Later he was invited by Marcus Aurelius, the Roman emperor, to work as a court physician. Galen continued to serve in this capacity during the reign of Caracalla and Septimius Severus.
The doctor wrote hundreds of treatises. After the collapse of the Western Roman Empire, his writings were largely forgotten in the West. In the Byzantine Empire and the Islamic world, by contrast, Galen's work figured prominently in the study of medicine. Thanks to this, the works of Galen were able to find their way to Western Europe in the Middle Ages.
Paracelsus
Paracelsus is the father of modern toxicology. Paracelsus attended many of the most important European universities during his travels and gained practical medical knowledge while working as a military surgeon for various armies. He was considered a "heretic" among scholars. He earned this reputation due to disputes with the revered Galenic-Arab system, the burning of Avicenna's works in a public square, and also because of criticism of the greed of pharmacists.
Theophrastus Paracelsus.
One of the contributions of Paracelsus to the history of medicine was that he spoke about pathological changes that were caused not only by internal factors, but also by external ones. To them he attributed "space influences", depending on the climate, and toxic substances formed in food.
Paracelsus suggested that all natural substances have two types of effects - beneficial and harmful. This led to one of the most famous sayings of Paracelsus, which is a fundamental tenet of classical toxicology: “There is poison in everything. It all depends on the dose."
Ibn Sina
Ibn Sina, known in the West as Avicenna, was born in 980 on the territory of present-day Uzbekistan. He was self-taught. The scientist had an incredible thirst for knowledge. He mastered mathematics, physics, philosophy, astronomy, medicine. Talented in all fields, Ibn Sina chose medicine as his main activity and has been doing it since the age of 18.
Ibn Sina.
He is believed to have written at least 130 books, the most influential of which is The Canon of Medicine. This five-volume work was translated into Latin in the 12th century and was used as a textbook in European medical universities until the 17th century.
Andreas Vesalius
Andreas Vesalius is a physician and anatomist who lived in the 16th century. Before his appearance, Galen was considered the main authority in medicine. But Galen had a problem: his religious beliefs did not allow an autopsy of a deceased person.
Vesalius did not share such views, and his willingness to dissect people marked the beginning of a new stage in the study of human anatomy. In 1539, Vesalius' work aroused the interest of a Padua judge. This helped him a lot, as the judge allowed the anatomist to perform autopsies on the executed criminals. Thanks to this, the doctor could conduct experiments and study the human body.
Ambroise Paré
Ambroise Paré (c. 1510-1590) was a French surgeon who served Kings Henry II, Francis II, Charles IX, and Henry III. He invented several surgical instruments and was a keen anatomist.
Ambroise Paré.
Considered one of the fathers of modern forensic science and a pioneer in the surgical treatment of war wounds.
Pavel Romanutenko