History Of Medicine

In March 1944 Sir Winston Churchill remarked that "Themore you can look back, the further you can go forward."The past bears the genesis of the present and future.History forms the basis of all knowledge and is the convenient avenue ofapproach to any subject or to any discipline of science. As such it is naturalto regard the evolution and progress of medicine from bygone times as anessential background to modern medical education. The author has attempted to prepare a short synopsis tointroduce the readers with the masters from the past and their theories, thecontributions which helped evolve the medicine to its present state. Sketchesof masters with the detailed contributions done by them, their findings whichlaid to the foundation of today’s system of medicine have been discussed. It’san interesting journey to our roots so we can look up to a strong future bylearning from our past. The question of "the collective and individual"psychology and health has taken a foot-hold in the medical profession. TheHippocratic tradition though it remained a living force for long years in thewestern world and tried to eliminate superstitious and degenerating habits oflife, yet could not give the right solution to the clinician. Gradually it was felt that the aim of medical educationshould be to produce a cultured and highly educated - gentlemen or women withan adequate knowledge of medicine and unprejudiced observation for which onemust have a minimum knowledge of historical background.The author has attempted to write a short synopsis of thehistory of medicine.What a reader can expect in the book is the informationabout-- The Egyptian medicine- Chinese medicine- 16th century medicine of the era of Paracelsus and Harvey- 19th century and Renaissance period- Catgut- Anaesthetic properties of that time- Aphorisms and oath of Hippocrates It is best to make the foundation of History strong so thatthe future is tread onto a successful and careful path.