ancient medicine
Prehistoric healing arts
Ancient medicine refers to healing practices and medical knowledge from early civilizations—Egyptian, Greek, Chinese, Indian, and others—before the development of modern scientific medicine.
The term often appears in discussions of medical history or alternative treatments claiming roots in traditional practices: Ancient medicine relied heavily on herbal remedies.
Some ancient medical concepts, like acupuncture or Ayurveda, persist in contemporary alternative medicine.
- HippocratesFather of medicine
- GalenClassical Roman-era physician
- AvicennaMedieval Persian physician-philosopher
- yin-yang balanceHarmony between opposing forces
- ginsengPerennial with tonic root
sacred herbs · bloodletting · plague doctor · Dioscorides · trepanation · acupuncture · vitalism · willow bark · moxibustion · opium · Asclepius · myrrh · Imhotep · cauterization · garlic · cupping therapy · healer · temple
- medical historyHippocrates, germ theory, bloodletting, Galen, four humors
- public healthdisease prevention, immunization, disease control, health education, epidemiology
- classicsHomer, Iliad, the Iliad, Odyssey, the Odyssey
- Tzaraathleprosy, bright spot, bright spots, white spots, skin lesions
ancient medicineprecision medicine
Treatment based on individual characteristics
robotic surgery · nanomedicine · gene therapy · targeted therapy · personalized medicine