Asclepius Research Paper

The previously mentioned symbol of Asclepius remains the adopted symbol of medical practice today. Most people are familiar with the staff intertwined with the serpent. Believed to be resilient to disease and illness, the serpent, also considered a sacred creature in many ancient civilizations, played a role of the Asclepius, the ancient Temple of healing and predecessor to the idea oh a hospital. The Asclepiad temples were dedicated to the God Asclepius, and were sanctuaries of healing. The temples were located in scenic settings of natural beauty in order to inspire and encourage relaxation through scenic grandeur. There were multiple Asclepions throughout ancient Greece and Asia Minor. The three most renowned were in Epidaurus, Cos, and

Here Pythagoras, better known as a mathematician for the famous theorem named for him, applied theoretical mathematics and the theory of numbers to the natural sciences (Nordqvist, 1). Pythagoras equated the duration of the lunar cycle to the female menstrual cycle and related the biblical equation of infinity as the product of the number seventy and forty to the normal length of pregnancy at 280 days (Nordqvist, 1). More practical, Pythagoras also contributed the idea of medical quarantine to the practice of medicine setting a forty-day period standard quarantine to avoid the spread of disease. While Pythagoras chose the number forty for its perceived divine nature his practical application of a quarantine must have been based on the observation that in some instances disease spreads through contact. The concept of Quarantine is still in use to this day and is an example of how Pythagoras contributed to modern medicine even while his methods were based on “mystical aspects of the number system” Pythagoras and his followers did “attempt to use mathematics to quantify nature” and as a result, medical practice (Ede, Cormack,

Believed to have been a pupil of Pythagoras, Alcmaeon pioneered anatomical dissection, a field in which Galen will later innovate. Through dissection Alcmaeon came to believe that the sensory organs were connected to the brain by channels. While he did not initially perceive the nervous system he is given credit for identifying the optic nerve. His Pythagorean influence in evidenced in his view of natural opposing powers, e.g. the wet, dry, the hot, the cold, the sweet, the bitter etc. The concept of symmetry and balance are part of Pythagorean philosophy as well as with artists in ancient Greece who’s sculpted works with the purpose of depicting excellence through natural symmetry in the male form. For Alcmaeon, proper health was achieved and maintained so long as the opposing powers remained in balance. Alcmaeon may also have been the first to identify “environmental problems, poor nutrition” and general “lifestyle” issues as factors related to illness rather than divine explanation (Nordqvist,