Biology and Medicine Within the History of Civilization

The Distant Past

            As James mentioned, ancient Greek and Roman medicine were not as practical nor pragmatic as modern medicine.  True, diagnosis was not fully bereft of logic, but there was a decent amount of superstition as well.  The human body was the pinnacle of perfection, particularly the athletic body.  Blending religion into the mix, seeing as gods were to be of human form, creating monuments of giant, human figure and exercising came to be forms of worship.  Due to this, the study of the human body and all of its intricacies took heightened precedence.  Medicine and health were crucial topics of interest. 

            Hygiene was not entirely one of these important topics, though bathing held its own significance.  Even with the detriment of poor hygiene holding back greater progress in health and medicine, the ancient Roman refiners borrowed and expounded upon the knowledge of the ancient Greeks, improving public health tremendously.  Still, at the base of it all, the head of each household was in charge of knowing the most basic of remedies, including proper application of wine, vinegar, poppy juice, unwashed wool, herbs, and honey, to name a few.  This, coupled with skill in bandaging and stitching formed a solid basis to set as a standard for those of olden times. 

            Even more practical than knowing basic first aid was preventative care—something that is highly conflicted against itself in modern times.  Though the ancient Romans did not possess the immunizations and cautions of today, much more emphasis was placed on exercise and personal fitness.  Social norms and culture regulated and enforced this healthy practice, arguably to an extent even greater than the present day.  While the ancient Romans drained swamps to prevent breeding of malaria-ridden mosquitoes and maintained rigorous exercise to ward against injury and disease, this, combined with basic cleansing practices, was not enough to provide the protection of the here and now.  Yet, oddly enough, it is not disease or hygiene that threatens the general public of today, but the neglect of old practices of fitness and diet that bring the danger. 

The Recent Past

            Stepping back to hygiene and general wellness, it is thought by some that the people of today are actually a little too clean and a little too careful.  Of note, antibiotics, though intended to prevent sickness, are actually in some cases fueling our modern plagues.  Humanity has been evolving and progressing since before the ancient Greek and Roman times, and the current human status has more or less become stable with the microbiome.  Cleanliness is good, but anything in excess can prove to be detrimental.  Such is the case with the people of today.  One instance of this pertains to overuse of antibiotics, which kill both harmful and helpful strains of bacteria in the gut.  Excessively killing harmful bacteria via repeated use of antibiotics (and also other related practices) causes the immune system to become lax.  Killing beneficial bacteria is obviously not beneficial.  Problems abound at both ends of the spectrum. 

Blaser, Martin J., MD. "Modern Medicine May Not Be Doing Your Microbiome Any Favors." Interview by Joe Raedle. NPR Books. NPR Books, 14 Apr. 2014. Web. 1 Dec. 2014. <http://www.npr.org/2014/04/14/302899093/modern-medicine-may-not-be-doing-your-microbiome-any-favors>.

"Medicine in Ancient Rome". HistoryLearningSite.co.uk. 2014. Web.