In the early days of civilization, many medical activities were organized by clergy, and the explanation and treatment of diseases were often superstitious. Later, it gradually differentiated into medical talents with medical treatment as their major. With the development of civilization, philosophical thoughts gradually replace theological explanations, and diseases are no longer considered as the harm of ghosts and gods or the punishment of gods.
Acute seasonal diseases are often related to abnormal weather changes, while chronic systemic diseases are often explained as the excess or deficiency of some imaginary components in human body, or the imbalance between these components. There are not only measures that have been proved to be effective by experience, but also many elements based on imagination. In the history of human civilization, these two stages lasted for thousands of years, and modern medicine was gradually established in recent hundreds of years.
In ancient medicine, ancient Egyptian medicine and ancient Indian medicine were once brilliant, but only China traditional medicine has continued to this day, and its influence is still expanding. China's traditional medicine is based on the extensive medical practice of various ethnic groups in China, and has also had exchanges with Greek-Arabic medicine and Indian medicine in the long-term development process.
Another part of ancient medicine that has a great influence on later generations is ancient Greek medicine. In a sense, Roman medicine and medieval Arabic medicine are its continuation, while modern medicine is the result of its sublation.
The school represented by Hippocrates in ancient Greece abandoned theological interpretation and tried to find the causes of diseases in nature and human body. This school attaches importance to clinical observation, advocates prevention, and emphasizes taking measures that help the body recover naturally. These thoughts are the important historical roots of modern clinical medicine, and some ethical principles expounded in Hippocrates oath are still believed by doctors today.
On the other hand, Alexander School's study of human body represents the early scientific exploration. However, after the West entered the Middle Ages, superstition and feudalism stifled academic development, including medicine. New explorations are often regarded as deviant, while traditional things are still considered sacred even if they are repeatedly proved to be fallacious by practice. There is no doubt that this situation continued until the Renaissance.
Renaissance, which first appeared in Italy in the14th century, not only represented the revival of ancient Greek culture, but actually reflected more profound social changes. The development of industry and commerce shook the feudal and theocratic rule; After people get rid of the shackles of theology, their thoughts are liberated; Knowledge has gradually spread to the vast secular population, and the technology that was despised in the past has attracted the attention of the emerging intellectual class. All these have paved the way for the development of modern science.
In the medical field, firstly, scientific observation and experiments make people have a more correct understanding of the structure and function of the human body, and then the combination of clinical observation and autopsy findings of patients puts the understanding of diseases on the basis of human pathology, so medicine has entered the scientific era.
Medicine includes many scientific fields, and what they have in common is to serve human health care. The scope of medicine is still expanding, and all the knowledge and technology of physics, chemistry and biology that are helpful to the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases will become the content of medicine. But as the core of medicine, clinical medicine and group medicine are aimed at individuals and groups respectively.
Another component of medicine is basic medicine, which includes some subjects that study the structure, function, inheritance and development of human body, as well as some subjects that study pathogens, immune and pathological processes, drug effects and so on. Basic medicine is also a part of generalized life science, and the rapid development of basic medicine in recent years has driven the whole medicine to make great strides.
Fundamentally speaking, the health and happiness of the masses are the ultimate goal of all social practices, and the health of the masses is also the necessary guarantee for all human practical activities. Therefore, all countries in the world are vigorously developing medicine, and the medical development level of a country is also regarded as an important symbol to measure the degree of modernization of this country.