| Roman Medicine |
|
Medication makes the doctor's job a bit easier, not to mention easing the discomfort of the patient. In ancient Rome, they used a variety of substances for cures and as anesthetic for surgery. In addition, the nature of the society encouraged a fear of poisoning, and this fear opened the door for doctors to promote antidotes.
Many of their drugs and medications seem today like potions and old wives' tales. For example, a piece of dried hyena skin would be given to help the victim of a mad-dog bite. Many of the pills prescribed contained, primarily, dried bugs! But, for the most part, people sought out good pain relievers, and, as today, often questioned the purity of the drug.
Anesthetics did not compare to today's standards. Surgeons wanted to minimize
the screaming and fighting of patients during surgery; the pain of the patient,
however, still scared many. They used opium, henbane, and mandrake. Opium numbed the
patient and limited movement. Henbane induced sleeping and a slight amnesia.
Finally, mandrake slowed the heart rate and deadened pain. Even with the help
of these anesthetics, the standard for a good surgeon was speed!
Doctors relieved patients in more ways than cures and surgeries. Fear of poisoning ran wild at times: Many deaths actually due to other causes fell under the blame of poisoning. This fear gave the catalyst for the creation of antidotes by many doctors. They made good money on both preventative material and after-the-fact solutions. This excessive fear and the creation of dubious antidotes uncovered many legitimate materials for actual drugs and medications.
J Walsh 2001 (revised 2006)
SOURCES:
| Copyright © 2009, KET |