Galens Contribution to Medical Science - Essay Example

Your Full Your s 19 December Galen’s Contribution to Medical Science Born in Asia Minor, in what is now Turkey, Aelius Galenus, or Galen, was born in the September of 129 AD and died in Rome in the early 3rd century (Hankinson 1). Throughout his long life he stayed active, dictating treatise on subjects ranging from philosophy to logic to philology to literary criticism and medicine (Hankinson 1). Even though his work touched and affected multiple disciplines, his contribution towards medical science is what stands out the most. Galen delved in numerous disciplines of medical science. His works include those with regard to physiology, anatomy, pharmacology, pathology and even neurology; however, his main interest remained in human anatomy. Being forced to work on animals and their cadavers, with dissection on human cadavers prohibited by law, he was the first to expound that voice was generated by the trachea. Being a surgeon, he also operated on many human patients, including surgeries for cataracts, his method being quite similar to the one used in modern science today. However, there were flaws in his theories as well. He was also the first to discover the difference between arterial and venous blood, although his theory regarding the reason thereof was flawed. Moreover, he was a practitioner of the Hippocratic bloodletting, something that has been disproven with regard to its efficacy. However, his work was very influential as well as authoritative, both during and after his life, and it paved the way for the practitioners of medicine. So legendary was Galen’s prowess, that he was appointed as one of emperor Marcus Aurelius’ personal physicians (Hankinson xv). Galen always made his preference for practical knowledge, rather than theoretical, be known (Nutton 230). His practical knowledge of anatomy was legendary for his time; as Galen was not allowed by Roman law to dissect human cadavers, he mostly limited himself to animal substitutes, even though his writings suggest that he did come in contact sometimes with human cadavers, a corpse unearthed accidentally from a tomb, an executed criminal, casualties of war (Nutton 231). Interestingly enough, Galen recognised the resemblance of human body with that of monkeys (Singer 60). It was, however, this limitation regarding human cadaver dissection that led him to certain erroneous beliefs regarding human anatomy. His work regarding nerves and muscles is quite accurate, with him making discoveries regarding facial muscles, the Achilles tendon and sublingual glands (Nutton 231). One of the limitations of his work regarding muscular system is the fact that there was no set nomenclature in place for muscles, thereby entailing that Galen use descriptive terms for muscles. However, he did manage to describe 300 muscles, and a lot of modern terminology related to muscles comes to us through him (Singer 57). Additionally, Galen described the bones and joints of the animals he dissected in detail, with some terms he coined being still in use by anatomists today (Singer 60). He studied the bones of an actual human skeleton and thereby described them. Interestingly enough, the terms apophyses and epiphyses have been handed down to us by him (Singer 53). His knowledge of the cranium bones can be considered fair, whereas he classified teeth as bones and gave a good explanation regarding their origin (Singer 53). Galen was also a physiologist, writing on and discovering various functions of the body’s organs (though most of this work had to be limited to animal physiology). Even though the theory of blood being pumped through the heart that was expounded in the seventeenth century by William Harvey was based on Galen’s data collection, however, it is interesting to note that Galen did not himself reach this conclusion (Nutton 233). He was far too occupied with his theory regarding blood being made in the liver and then transported throughout the body. Moreover, Galen attributed the pulse not to the pumping of the heart but to a movement within the arteries themselves. Moreover, Galen also traced pathways of nerves from inside the brain down to the spinal cord. His observations regarding the physiology of the nervous system, especially the spinal cord, led him to conclude that injury to the spinal cord between the first and second vertebrae led to instant death (Singer 60). He also observed that relationship between injuries to different areas spinal cord, and the effects on the body ranging from respiratory arrest, paralysis of the thoracic muscles, and paralysis to the lower limbs, depending on which area of the spinal cord is damaged (Singer 60). Galen’s work on the spinal cord’s physiology is detailed and quite remarkable, especially keeping in mind that the “knowledge of the functions of the spinal cord was not extended until the nineteenth century” (Singer 60). Galen also worked towards treating the mind-body problems – these were illnesses or physical conditions that were brought on by mental stress or apprehension (Nutton 236). Even though this does not imply that Galen was a pioneer in the field of psychology, far from it, however, it does point at the fact that Galen did have a strong power of observation which he utilised while diagnosing his patients, even going so far as to give, what we know now to be, psychological reasons for physical ailments. Galen stressed on the importance of diet with regard to the health of his patients. He constantly advised his patients with regard to their diet and also expounded on the virtues of certain food, and the vice of certain other. For good health, he propounded that it was necessary to have a good diet and eat proper food. Galen was also a believer of curing illnesses through the diet. It is interesting to note that most of his work regarding food and their virtue is valid even today, with the exception of his strange aversion to fruit (Nutton 240-241). Galen had his own views regarding pharmacology. As opposed to the usual method of his contemporaries of administering the same drug for the same symptoms, Galen preferred expounding the virtues of treating every patient on a case by case basis, administering drugs according to not only the complaint/disease of the patient but also based on the patient’s attributes, physical and mental (Nutton 242-246). Moreover, Galen insisted that the physician should be acquainted with drugs first-hand as it is only then that they could discover any seller selling fake or inferior quality of drugs (Nutton 246). His treatises on pharmacology show his “intelligent reasoning, detailed observation and empirical testing” whereas he almost always tries to correct the mistakes of others in an effort to show his superiority (Nutton 246). It is interesting to note that Galen also contributed to medical science by stressing on the mannerism and practices of a doctor. He insisted that the doctor should speak with authority and refrain from any boorish behaviour. He also maintained that a doctor should be neatly dressed and visit his patient at the patient’s convenience. Galen was as much against sloppiness as he was against flashiness, opposing bad and uncouth behaviour as much as “high-flown rhetoric” (Nutton 237). Galen also stressed the importance for a doctor to gain his patient’s confidence, in a bid that this would be helpful in the diagnosis as well as the healing. Moreover, being a keen observer himself, Galen emphasised the importance of observing the patient in detail as well as making observations regarding the patient’s surroundings. As per Galen, good observation led to a more effective diagnosis, something attested to by his successful diagnoses. It is quite clear that Galen contributed quite a lot to modern medical science; a lot of work done by physicians that followed him was based on his treatises. Whether it is anatomy, physiology, pharmacology or even dietetics, his contribution towards medical science are many. Even though a lot of his discoveries were negated later on, however, they were groundbreaking at that time. Moreover, the standard of ethics for doctors that he perfected can still be considered to be the standard for today’s doctors. It is interesting to note that he knew of his own importance and that is why he comes across as quite a braggart through his writings. However, if this factor of his writings is not allowed to cloud one’s judgement, it is clear to see that Galen had good reason to become as famous a physician as he had in his time. His work is pioneering considering his times, and his methodical ways, as well as his astute observational skills, easily rank him above all of his contemporaries. Works Cited Hankinson, R. J. Ed. The Cambridge Companion to Galen. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2008. Print. Nutton, Vivian. Ancient Medicine. Oxon: Routledge, 2004. Print. Singer, Charles. A Short History of Anatomy and Physiology from the Greeks to Harvey. New York: Dover Publications, 1957. Print. Read More