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Posted by TonyG (U1830405) on Monday, 14th January 2008
Does anyone know whether the ancients (Roman, Greek,etc) used any sort of herbal or plant medicine to treat wounds? Either by way of drinking, eating or having them packed into bandages or applied as a poultice.
Or was it just a case of stop the bleeding and pray to whtever gods you believed in?
I know that honey was used to pack on wounds and it certainly prevented infection. Spider webbing was also used to stimulate clotting of blood.
There are a lot of books available that detail how wounds were handled in ancient times. I'm sure you can google up a few top flight titles with minimum effort.
I have a book entitled "Service in the Roman Army", a collection of papers by Roy Davies that includes an article on the Roman Military Medical Service. It lists five medicinal plants found by archaeologists in the Roman military hospital at Neuss, along with the tools used for grinding them to powder:
Centaury, for wounds, eye ailments and snake bite.
Henbane, an hypnotic and anodyne.
St John's wort, for blood ailments.
Plantain, used as treatment for haemorrhage and dysentry.
Fenugreek, used as an enema and poultice.
Their uses are known from ancient pharmacopoeias.
Tony,
The most obvious I can think of being Opium - Used by The Sumerian, Assyrians & Babylonians etc...
cocaine was used in south america alot in medicinal ways. To numb wounds and so on.
Killfacer,
Cocaine wasn't available until the late 19th Century (To be pedantic!) But I assume you mean Coca leaves? Although they only used it to get over altitude sickness or for a quick stamina rush...
hi,
medicine in the Roman and Greek civlisations was quite advanced and with the fall of these societies may have gone into decine. I however feel not so much as we thnk it might have.
Galen for example demonstrated the function of the Laryngeal nerves,the motor sensory functions of the spinal nerve rootsand the effect of transerse incision of the spinal chord.From his disections Galen was able to describe the heart valves and the functions of the kidneys and bladder.Galenwas born in 130ad.
Asfor his treatment in disease he had great faith in drugs etc and collected plants from all over the known world as treatments.
AngloSaxon medicine is obviously based on Romano/Greek medicine-The Leehbook are derived from latin and greek original scripts inluding the use of mediterranaen fauna.
It is known that the R omans had militay hospitals and it would be safe to assume that their medical now how would be used in them.
vera
On a field medicine tangent, I believe the Romans used silver staples instead of stitches to close up wounds.
Hard to believe Google doesn't come up with anything about it. I know I saw it once in a documentary a few years back.
hi,
its very likely that the romans did use staples,we still use them today.
vera
Also to numb the cold.
I ment to say, coca leaves
, in reply to message 8.
Posted by Anglo-Norman (U1965016) on Wednesday, 16th January 2008
The Roman Army is generally reckoned to have the best medical services in the Empire, with provisions made for its troops that in civilian life only the wealthy could afford. Fortresses (and some of the larger forts) had hospitals (valetudinaria) with surgeons, medics, nurses and dedicated administrators. They also employed battlefield medics (capsari, from the capsus - the semi-circular box containing their medical kit.
The Romans used a wide variety of medicinal herbs, many of which have proven medical benefits. I'll try and dig out my book on Roman herbs to try and give you some examples. Presumably the Army utilised them, though.
Indian medics used turmeric on wounds - and it was more effective than any Western treatment in WW One
, in reply to message 13.
Posted by Anglo-Norman (U1965016) on Wednesday, 16th January 2008
A few of the medicinal herbs used by the Romans. I've listed one's which might be considered particularly useful to the Army - though the properties attached were by no means the only use for each herb. The first group are proven to, at least to some extent, be of use: some herbs contain the active ingredients of modern medicines (for example, Willow - traditionally used as a painkiller - contains the keu ingrediants of asprin). The efficacy of the second group is - to say the least! - doubtful.
Balm – staunching blood
Bay – muscular pains
Caraway – bruises
Chives – antiseptic, staunch bleeding
Hyssop – antiseptic, muscular sprains, bruises, black eyes
Juniper - antiseptic
Marigold – bruises and wounds
Mint – antiseptic applied to cuts
Mustard - poisons
Rosemary – antiseptic
Sage – astringent
Ash – muscular aches and pains
Burnet Saxifraga – head injuries
Comfrey – wounds
Onion – poisons
Periwinkle - astringent
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