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3000 BCE
Egyptian medicine
Around 3000 BCE Medicine began in ancient Egypt: Egyptian medicine began with animism and deities. It worshipped gods associated with health, such as the goddess Isis and the god Thoth, who were associated with healing. -
2600 BCE
Imhotep
2600 BCE Imhotep: A great physician and architect of ancient Egypt, Imhotep worked under the rule of Pharaoh Djoser and is regarded as the father of Egyptian medicine. It is recorded that the medical knowledge associated with Imhotep was the origin of systematic medicine. -
2500 BCE
Ebers Papyrus
2500 BCE Ebers Papyrus: The oldest surviving Egyptian medical document, it records medical knowledge and treatments for diseases such as heart disease, diabetes, and malaria. -
2000 BCE
Papyrus Kahun
2000 BCE Papyrus Kahun : One of the oldest medical texts, covering gynecology and childbirth, showing knowledge of women's diseases. -
1550 BCE
Treatment development
1550 BCE Development of Treatment: During this period, Egyptian medicine began to develop into a more systematic system, with records of treatment of various diseases, the use of herbs, drugs, and minor surgery, such as the management of fractures. -
Period: 1000 BCE to 500 BCE
Ancient Egyptian and Greek physicians
1000-500 BCE Ancient Egyptian and Greek physicians: During this period, Greek physicians came to Egypt to study, which later influenced the development of Greek medicine, especially Hippocrates, who was influenced by Egyptian medical knowledge. -
Period: 800 BCE to 700 BCE
Greek medicine
800-700 BCE Homeric Era: Greek myths such as Homer's "Iliad" and "Odyssey" described folk remedies and religious beliefs, with references to gods such as Apollo and Asclepius, the Greek god of healing. -
Period: 700 BCE to 500 BCE
Asclepius Temple Treatment
700-500 BCE Asclepian Temples: Temples dedicated to the god Asclepius became centers of medicine in ancient Greece. People traveled to these temples to seek treatment from priests who acted as doctors, often involving ritual, prayer, and herbal remedies. -
500 BCE
Pre-Hippocratic era
500 BCE Pre-Hippocratic Era: Medicine in Greece during this period combined religious belief and experimental practices. Herbalism and physical healing were recorded. However, medicine was not clearly separated from magic and religious rituals -
Period: 460 BCE to 370 BCE
Hippocrates
460-370 BCE Hippocrates: Hippocrates was a Greek physician who played a major role in the transformation of medicine from religious belief to observation and experimentation. He is believed to have written the Hippocratic Corpus, the oldest and most important medical document. He is also known for the Hippocratic Oath, which is still used in medicine today. -
400 BCE
Medicine during the Hellenist era
Around 400 BCE Hellenistic medicine: After Alexander the Great conquered Egypt, Egyptian science and medicine merged with Greek culture and spread to other regions. Ancient Egyptian medicine had a great influence on the medicine of later civilizations, especially the inheritance and transmission of knowledge to the Greeks and Romans. -
Period: 400 BCE to 300 BCE
Aristotle
400-300 BCE Aristotle: Aristotle, a Greek philosopher and naturalist, made detailed studies of biology and anatomy. His observations and notes on living things became the basis of later scientific knowledge. -
300 BCE
Herophilus and Erasistratus
300 BCE Herophilus and Erasistratus: Two great Hellenistic Greek anatomists who are considered the fathers of the study of anatomy. Herophilus studied the brain, nervous system, and heart function, while Erasistratus observed and recorded the vascular system. -
200 BCE
The fusion of Greco-Roman knowledge
200 CE onwards Greek-Roman fusion of knowledge: Greek medicine was fused with Roman medicine and spread to different parts of the Roman Empire. Greek medical knowledge was continued and developed in the Middle Ages and Renaissance. -
Period: 200 BCE to 100 BCE
Hellenistic medicine era
200-100 BCE Hellenistic Medicine: Hellenistic medicine was developed in cities like Alexandria, the center of medical knowledge. Dissections to study anatomy were also accepted during this period. -
Period: 100 BCE to 200 BCE
Galen
100 BCE - 200 CE Galen: A Greek physician during the Roman era who had a profound influence on Western medicine. Galen emphasized clinical observation and surgery in the study of anatomy. He pioneered physical therapy and the systematic use of herbs. -
3 BCE
Qin Dynasty-Han Dynasty
3rd century BC (Qin Dynasty-Han Dynasty) In this period, ancient Chinese medicine began to develop into a clearer system, with the beginning of the recording of ancient medical texts. The important text Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor’s Inner Canon) was recorded, which is one of the oldest and most influential medical texts in Chinese history. -
2 BCE
century
2nd century BC Acupuncture and acupressure were developed to treat various diseases, based on the concept of meridians in the body, which were believed to be the paths through which Qi flowed. -
1 CE
Shennong Bencao Jing
1st century BC Shennong Bencao Jing (神農本草經), an important treatise on herbs, is said to have been written by “Shennong”, who is regarded as the father of Chinese herbal medicine. Many herbal records used to treat various diseases -
Period: 3 to 4
Eastern Han Dynasty
3rd-4th century AD (Eastern Han Dynasty) Zhang Zhongjing, a famous Chinese physician, wrote Shang Han Lun (傷寒論), which is a treatise on the treatment of chills, plagues, and general medical practices at that time. It is considered an important work that has influenced traditional Chinese medicine. Developed preventive medicine, emphasizing health care to prevent diseases before they occur. -
Period: 5 to 15
European medicine
Middle Ages (5th-15th century) 542-543: Plague of Justinian affects the European population. 9th century: Translation of medical texts from Arabic into Latin by scholars such as Abu al-Rayhana al-Biruni. 1200s: Establishment of European universities, such as the University of Paris and the University of Bologna, where formal medical education is offered. -
Period: 5 to 7
Sui and Tang Dynasties
5th-7th century AD (Sui and Tang Dynasties) Chinese medicine was widely accepted and developed in the imperial court, with the establishment of medical schools and the recording of many medical treatises. Sun Simiao, a physician in the Tang Dynasty, wrote Qianjin Yaofang (千金藥方), or "The Costly Medical Treatise of a Thousand Gold Taels", which was the most comprehensive medical treatise at that time, covering herbal medicine and disease prevention. -
Period: 10 to 14
Song Dynasty
10th-14th century AD (Song Dynasty) Medical treatises were printed using wooden printing presses, which made the dissemination of medical knowledge more efficient. Integrating medicine from various regions of China, including Tibet and Central Asia. -
14
14th Century
14th Century 1347-1351: The Black Death epidemic brings more attention to the study of health and medicine. -
Period: 14 to 17
Renaissance
Renaissance (14th-17th century) 1543: Andreas Vesalius publishes “De humani corporis fabrica,” a seminal work in anatomy. 1570: Gabriel Fallopius discovers and describes the structure of the reproductive system -
15
15th Century
15th Century 1450: Johann Gutenberg's invention of the printing press makes medical texts more widely available. 1492: Columbus's voyages lead to the study of new diseases and their spread from the Old World to the New. -
16
Modern medicine
16th-17th century (Ming Dynasty) The famous herbalist Li Shizhen compiled Bencao Gangmu (本草綱目), a herbal book containing information on more than 1,800 plants, animals and minerals, which remains the main text of Chinese herbal medicine to this day. -
16
16th Century
16th century 1530: Andreas Vesalius begins his study of anatomy by dissecting human corpses. 1543: Vesalius publishes “De humani corporis fabrica,” a work that revolutionized anatomy. 1563: Gaius Plinius Secundus publishes “De medicina,” a collection of ancient medical knowledge. -
17
17th century
17th century 1628: William Harvey publishes “Exercitatio Anatomica de Motu Cordis et Sanguinis”, which describes blood circulation. 1632: Felix Platter publishes “Anatomia”, an important study of anatomy. -
18
18th century
18th century 1796: Edward Jenner experiments with a smallpox vaccine, leading to the development of later vaccinations 1800s: William Harvey studies the circulatory system -
19
19th Century
19th Century 1840-1860: Development of anesthesia in surgery 1867: Joseph Lister introduces the use of disinfectants in the operating room 1882: Robert Koch discovers tuberculosis -
20
20th Century
20th Century 1928: Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin, the first antibiotic 1950s-1960s: Developments in organ transplantation and medical imaging technology 1970s: Developments in preventive med20th Century 1928: Alexander Fleming discovers penicillin, the first antibiotic 1950s-1960s: Developments in organ transplantation and medical imaging technology 1970s: Developments in preventive medicine, such as cancer screening, beginicine, such as cancer screening, begin -
Modern medicine
1940s-1960s 1943: Development of antibiotic drugs such as penicillin makes treating infectious diseases more effective. 1950s: Use of polio vaccine. 1960s: Development of sophisticated heart surgery and experimental organ transplants. -
Modern medicine
1970s 1971: The establishment of international medical organizations such as the FDA (Food and Drug Administration) in the United States to regulate the use of drugs and medical devices. 1978: The development of IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) techniques makes it easier for women with infertility problems to get pregnant -
Modern medicine
1980s 1980s: การค้นพบ HIV และการระบาดของโรคเอดส์ ทำให้เกิดการศึกษาและวิจัยเกี่ยวกับการป้องกันและรักษา 1987: การพัฒนายา AZT เป็นยาแรกในการรักษา HIV/AIDS -
Modern medicine
1990s 1996: Use of DNA technology for diagnosis 1998: Development of hepatitis B vaccine -
Modern medicine
2000s 2001: The Human Genome Project begins to decode the human genome. 2004: Development of high-resolution medical imaging technologies such as MRI and CT scans -
Modern medicine
2010s 2010: Development of medical innovations such as personalized medicine based on genetic characteristics 2019: Discovery and development of mRNA vaccines for COVID-19 -
Modern medicine
2020s 2020: The COVID-19 pandemic has led to rapid development of vaccines and treatments 2023: AI technology is being used to diagnose and treat diseases -
Modern medicine
Modern medicine emphasizes the use of technology and genetic information for precise treatment, such as personalized medicine, mRNA vaccines, and the use of AI in diagnosis. In addition, medical imaging technology and minimally invasive surgery are being developed to reduce risk and speed recovery.