Restoration
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Historians have long assumed the origin of modern medical
practice occurred in the Fourth Century B.C.
HIPPOCRATES is the accepted Father
of Medicine. Students of medical history have
been taught that competent medical procedures — including anatomy, physiology, pharmacology,
surgery, and gynecology — are of comparatively recent development. History books disdainfully dismiss the
ancient era prior to Hippocratic This TRADITIONAL history of
ancient medicine is in error! The widely-accepted theory
developed from the Historical Hypothesis, which stated authoritatively:
ANCIENT GREECE IS THE ORIGIN OF MODERN CIVILIZATION. All study was based on this premise;
history was warped to cover this structure. The History of Medicine was written to conform to the fallacious
theory! Purpose of This Thesis The average medical history book
presents a hollow, empty description of ancient medicine. The reader is led to believe that the empty
incantations of a primitive, superstitious priesthood were the sum total of
medical aid there available. Nothing could be farther from the truth! Exhaustive research in this
century has proved that a CAPABLE medical faculty was established in This Thesis is an
attempt to put forth a more complete history of the Origin of Medicine. Not
until this century has it been possible to ascertain the FACTS of medical
history. Working from a faulty historical HYPOTHESIS,
historians have drawn inaccurate conclusions concerning the level of advancement
of ancient medicine. The result is no secular source has grasped the
significance behind the highly developed practice of medicine in the early
ages! This thesis recognizes that, from its origin, medicine was essentially
supernaturally oriented — as were all facets of ancient life. When properly understood, this ancient
relationship between medicine and the supernatural was far removed from what,
today, is derisively called witchcraft. Considering the supernatural
element in the ancient origin of medicine, it is not surprising to find this
subject rather thoroughly dealt with in the BIBLE. Therefore, the Specific
Purposes of this thesis are to show the following points: 1. That advanced medical practice had its origin in ancient 2. That the theory that medicine originated as an “empiric
science” after 500 B.C. — apart from earlier supernatural intervention — is a
modern stylization. 3. That modern disease was equally an ancient curse. 4. That medical practice was in fact a highly advanced art 2200 years B.C. 5. That all ancient history identifies one physician as the initiator of medicine in the
post-diluvian era. 6. That the origin of medical practice occurred as a result of sudden necessity in that ancient time. Justification The development of medicine
played a vital role in the establishment of civilization in the post-diluvian era. A
survey of the available works on medical history showed that this important facet of history has been
completely overlooked! As 1. Although modern research techniques have recently made
available much additional information, it appears the discoveries have not been properly understood in
relation to general history. Much new
information in the form of medical artifacts has also been discovered! The question was, “Did the same fault
appear in the treatment of medical history?”
Is medical history out of date?
If so, an entirely new approach to the History of Medicine must be
expressed. 2. It became evident that modern
research techniques have enabled researchers to make startling advances
toward more complete, 3. The modern treatment of medical history is an attempt to
reconstruct the past apart form God and the supernatural. The result has been a mélange of fact and
fancy. To be able to understand the
new picture of ancient medicine projected by modern research and its proper
perspective in history, the Bible must
be referred to as an authoritative record!
A treatment of medical history which stresses the most up-to-date research, carefully considers the most
ancient secular records, and appeals to the Bible as an authority, has not been
attempted before. This thesis is an
original work, which potentially may add understanding to the task of
restoring man’s history! Definition of Terms In the context of this paper,
the following terms were used as defined: Hippocrates: though
he appears as a semi-fictitious figure in history, his relationship to
medicine is referred to as it is modernly expressed. Chronology: the
dating of all eras discussed is based on The Compendium of History, by Dr. Herman Hoeh. Ancient History:
that period of time beginning with the establishment of human government and
civilization after the
Deluge. Limitations 1. For the purpose of this work, the thesis was limited to
the explanation of the advancement of medicine in the post-diluvian age.
Therefore, the earliest
records included, date to 2369 B.C. This study does not consider medical
developments in the Numerous historians have written
in support of speculation that medicine first
originated in pre-flood “Le Clerc, a French writer . . . whose History of Medicine is a work of merit . . .
traces the practice of Medicine in its
various branches to the days of Adam, whom he shows to have been, of
necessity, the first Physician, Surgeon,
and Accoucheur in the world! “Brambilla, head of the Academy
of Surgery at Vienna in 1783 labours to trace the invention of surgical instruments to
TUBAL CAIN [who was the pre-flood Dionysius] . . . as the 22nd
verse of Genesis 4 informs us, ‘an instructor of every artificer in
brass and iron,’ and hence not unlikely to have been . . . the first
contriver of simple surgical instruments”
(Hamilton, The History of
Medicine, Surgery and Anatomy, pp. 2-4). Such speculation is not within the scope of this study! 2.
In addition, this thesis covers primarily the rise of medicine in Organization of the Remainder of the Study The remainder of this thesis is
divided into seven chapters as
described below: Chapter I explains why
Hippocrates is not the historical Father of Medicine. Chapter II presents the
classical approach to medicine as opposed to its more modern view. Chapter III provides an analysis
of disease in the ancient world. Chapter IV demonstrates that a
competent medical faculty had been developed 1500 years before Hippocrates. Chapter V presents an
identification of the earliest physicians in history. Chapter VI provides the
explanation of why medical practice was necessary in the foundation of
ancient civilizations. Chapter VII presents a general
summary of the thesis. Sherwin McMichael May, 1969 |
