History of Medicine

By ejc22
  • Period: 8000 BCE to 3000 BCE

    Neolithic Revolution

    Emergence of agriculture leading to the first permanent settlements and beginning of civilization around great rivers, including the Nile, Tigris and Euphrates, Indus, and Yellow Rivers. Settlements led to diseases related to higher population numbers and the development of social classes and professions (including “medical” professions)
  • 3300 BCE

    Otzi the Iceman

    Time of the life of Otzi the Iceman, who was found in 1991 in the Otzai Alps. He is thought to have perhaps been a shaman, as he was found with fire starting materials, mushrooms that may have been used as a styptic or antibacterial, and tattoos that some argue indicate an early form of acupuncture.
  • 1600 BCE

    Smith papyrus

    Earliest medical papyrus. Contains descriptions of general cases, with each entry including title, examination, diagnosis, prognosis (including 'do not treat') and treatment
  • 1550 BCE

    Ebers papyrus

    Extensive record of Egyptian medical knowledge, including herbal, magical, and folk remedies.
  • Period: 900 BCE to 323 BCE

    Hellenic period

    Healing linked to religion: oracles provided insights, Asclepius was the god of medicine - people could appeal to him or visit his temples to be cured or to learn more about the causes and treatments of their afflictions
  • Period: 600 BCE to 500 BCE

    Sushruta Samhita

    Approximate date for composition of the Sushruta Samhita (estimated by some to be the 6th century BCE, generally agreed as sometime in the 1st millennium BCE). Foundational text of Ayurvedic medicine with a focus on surgery.
  • Period: 460 BCE to 370 BCE

    Hippocrates' lifetime

    The lifetime of Hippocrates, foundational Greek physician. The Hippocratic writings generally date from around this time period; though associated with Hippocrates, they were written by multiple authors expressing multiple perspectives. Gave recommendations on living in harmony with nature, applying philosophy to individual cases, and using specific drugs when necessary.
  • Period: 401 BCE to 310 BCE

    Bian Que's lifetime

    Lifetime of Bian Que, earliest recorded Chinese physician. He was a legendary healer and wrote the Bian Que Neijing.
  • Period: 335 BCE to 280 BCE

    Herophilus' lifetime

    Lifetime of Herophilus, a Greek physician who studied in Alexandria. He was interested in anatomy and made many discoveries relating to human anatomy, doing so by breaking taboos against dissecting human bodies and performing vivisections.
  • Period: 200 BCE to 100 BCE

    Compendium of Caraka

    Approximate date for the Compendium of Caraka, a foundational text of Ayurvedic medicine.
  • Period: 200 BCE to 100 BCE

    Huang Di Nei Jing

    Approximate date for the composition of Huang Di Nei Jing, a foundational text in Chinese medicine.
  • Period: 23 to 79

    Pliny the Elder's lifetime

    Lifetime of Pliny the Elder, influential Roman author and natural philosopher. His best-known work is his encyclopedic Natural History.
  • Period: 129 to 210

    Galen's lifetime

    Lifetime of Galen, a Roman physician and philosopher. His work was based on the humoral system and primarily focused on digestion. He also explored anatomy, though only through animal dissections.
  • Period: 700 to 800

    Sowa Rigpa

    Approximate time of the establishment of Sowa Rigpa, the traditional Tibetan system of medicine
  • Period: 1000 to 1200

    Rise of corporations

    Beginning and proliferation of legal corporations in Europe. Many medical professions were incorporated, most commonly barber-surgeons, surgeons, and apothecaries.
  • 1025

    Avicenna's Canon

    Completion of Avicenna's Canon, a very comprehensive and influential record of Islamic medicine.
  • 1076

    Establishment of Chinese imperial pharmacy service

    Included the production of official guides to pharmacology and attempts to bring pharmacy in line with traditional principles, such as yin and yang.
  • 1088

    Founding of University of Bologna

    Founded as a student-run university by an organized student guild.
  • 1348

    Black Death outbreak

    Followed by outbreaks in 1363 and 1374. The Black Death ravaged Europe, resulting in a 30-45% general mortality rate and causing economic and social changes.
  • 1492

    Publication of De Plinii et plurium aliorum medicorum in medicina erroribus

    Niccolò Leoniceno published this first criticism of Pliny, pointing out errors in the Natural History.
  • Period: 1493 to 1541

    Paracelsus' lifetime

    Lifetime of Paracelsus, influential Renaissance physician. He drew on chemistry and alchemy to develop new "cures" and specific medicines.
  • Period: 1500 to

    Paper becomes more common, new medical sources

    In Europe, paper becomes common enough to be used generally, leading to new sources about ordinary practitioners and 'common' medicine. These sources include letters, medical notebooks and casebooks, and handbills, pamphlets, and advertisements.
  • Period: 1519 to

    Decimation of indigenous population in the Americas

    By 1620 (101 years after Cortez's arrival in the Americas), the population of indigenous peoples in the Americas has dropped to only 1/20 or 1/25 of the original pre-contact population.
  • 1543

    Publication of De fabrica humani corporis

    Andreas Vesalius publishes De fabrica humani corporis, a detailed piece on human anatomy including anatomical illustrations. This work corrected many mistakes in common (Galenic) conceptions of anatomy.
  • 1562

    Publication of Coloquios dos simples e droga da India

    Portuguese physician and naturalist Garcia da Orta publishes Coloquios dos simples e droga da India (Colloquies on the simples and drugs of India). This work introduced Europeans to many 'new' simples, including china root, opium, ginseng, and hashish.

  • Publication of Bencao Gangmu

    Publication of Bencao Gangmu, or Compendium of Materia Medica, by Li Shishen. This is a comprehensive record of 1,892 simples used in Chinese medicine.
  • Period: to

    Institutionalization of midwifery

    Printed records, including contracts between midwives and a few works by women authors, date to this period. Institutionalization occurs as midwives' guilds are formed and as male midwives gain prominence due to increased state concern around fertility.
  • Period: to

    Rise of the medical marketplace

    Emergence of the medical marketplace and the proliferation of patent medicines.
  • Period: to

    Sylvius' lifetime

    Lifetime of Sylvius, Dutch physician and scientist who championed materialism in chemistry.

  • Publication of De motu cordis et sanguinis

    William Harvey published De motu cordis et sanguinis, establishing the circulation of the blood.

  • Publication of De medicina Indorum

    Posthumous publication of De medicina Indorum, a collection of Jacobus Bontius' observations relating to tropical medicine.