| Roman Medicine |
|
Disease created the inevitable problem for the Roman civilization that it does for all civilizations. They had many of the illnesses and diseases we have today. Unfortunately, they did not have many of the techniques, drugs, or knowledge our physicians and scientists have. Many common, treatable ailments today posed great threats to the Roman.
One such disease that had no effective treatment in Rome was malaria. The word itself comes from Italian for "bad air". The swamps and stagnate water encountered by the Romans in their quests and expansion put them into contact with the parasite that, we now know, causes malaria.
Recent scientific and archeological discoveries have increased interest in this
particular disease and its effect on the history of the Roman Empire. Digs in
in a Roman cemetary uncovered bones of many children who may have died from
this disease, giving researchers indications as to the extent of the outbreak.
Many now claim malaria could have even played a role in the demise of the Empire. Many communities were known to have died out suddenly in Rome and Greece. We also know that Attila the Hun, on his way to Rome, suddenly turned back; could this mighty conqueror have been scared off by this disease?
We do know that diseases killed many Romans and made life difficult for many others. However, the Roman infrastructure of fresh water and baths did help prevent the spread of diseases. And with the discovery of new diseases, the push of creativity and initiative found more cures and better treatments.
J Walsh 2001 (revised 2006)
SOURCES:
| Copyright © 2008, KET |