What does duct tape, a GPS, and a Jeep all have in
common? They were all invented first for
military use and then were transferred over into civilian life. Especially in a country with an emphasis on
military prowess, much of our technological advancement is due military
development. This is not a foreign
concept, though. It was also common in
ancient Rome.
As I was researching Rome,
I wanted to write about the medical life of the civilization. Come to find out that most doctors in Rome
were considered quacks, but surgeons were highly prized. Most of the concoctions that the Romans tried
to use for medicines were actually poisons, but they had a grasp on anesthetics. Surgeons were employed extensively by the
military and had tools and procedures that wouldn’t be changed for almost two millennia. During surgical procedures, they would
administer opium, henbane and mandrake to deaden pain and induce sleep. All these medical advancements were due to
Rome’s emphasis on its military. Then,
it became public in the civilian sphere.
Today, while we’ve come a long way from ancient Roman medical practices,
we still have the same mentality. It’s
the military trickle-down effect. All
the research and development funding goes to the military because we have to
protect our troops and from there civilians begin to build on it and
diversify. In more than two thousand
years, our medical practices have changed, but our thinking hasn’t. 
Great connection, assuming you're a med student. I had never really thought about advances being mead primarily in the military first and then trickling down to civilians but it makes sense. I've been watching Person of Interest with my wife lately and that was my major point of reference while reading your post. It all matches up!
ReplyDeleteI never knew how big of an impact Rome made on the world, especially in terms of medicine, military, and language. I, too, did not know that a lot of our medical practices originated from Rome. Back then, they probably had no idea how their influence changed the world.
ReplyDeleteI think this mentality applies in many other ways, too. We seem to develop items that make our everyday lives easier or more enjoyable from necessity and higher organizations. For instance the computer wasn't a household object until after it was used for professional purposes.
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