Pharmacies for pain and trauma in ancient Greece

Mavrogenis, Andreas F.; Saranteas, Theodosis; Markatos, Konstantinos; Kotsiou, Antonia; Tesseromatis, C.

doi:10.1007/s00264-018-4219-x

Cited by 15 publications

(9 citation statements)

References 32 publications

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“…Some of the published papers were dedicated to analgesia and anaesthesia. For millennia, pain was a major subject for both patients and doctors and modern anaesthesia realized unbelievable progress in managing pre-operative and postoperative care as well as the realization of surgery "per se" [16,17]. No surgery without anaesthesia.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

About anesthesiology and surgery: analgesia, anaesthesia, and non-surgical papers published in journals of surgery

Scarlat

Mavrogenis

2021

International Orthopaedics (SICOT)

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Subjects treated in a general orthopaedic publication are innumerable. Some themes could not be included in a very specialized journal or in a technical publication because they treat "borderline" subjects such as the biology of healing in tissues, patient-related outcomes in a specific procedure, or pain management. Other papers that have a difficulty in finding a place are participation of vitamins or regimes in healing, education in preparation of patients for a specialized procedure such as joint replacement, and doctor's experience in introducing new procedures.We published many such controversial subjects related to orthopaedics and conjunctive tissue [1-3]. We published papers dealing with the use of specific molecules like tranexamic acid during surgery [4][5][6][7]. We published also papers related to the use of drugs or medications before or after surgery as well as regional anaesthetic blocks [8][9][10][11]. However, the most read and cited borderline papers are dedicated to pain management and blood loss as well as the outcome studies in controversial subjects [12][13][14][15]. Some of the published papers were dedicated to analgesia and anaesthesia. For millennia, pain was a major subject for both patients and doctors and modern anaesthesia realized unbelievable progress in managing pre-operative and postoperative care as well as the realization of surgery "per se" [16,17]. No surgery without anaesthesia. The surgical team includes as pre-requisite the presence of a specialized anesthesiologist doctor or assistant. Difficult cases are managed correctly with pre-operative and post-operative protocols. Many patients are old, presenting comorbidities and chronic treatments such as anticoagulants or respiratory medication. Patients become more and more demanding and the cases become more complex and difficult. Is it reasonable to refuse

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confidence: 99%

About anesthesiology and surgery: analgesia, anaesthesia, and non-surgical papers published in journals of surgery

Scarlat

Mavrogenis

2021

International Orthopaedics (SICOT)

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“…The painkilling and anti-inflammatory effects of opium ( 24) helped ancient humans tolerate trauma-related pain, thereby securing their survival (25). With their somniferous properties and the induction of pleasant feelings, opiates have been consumed by mankind throughout history (26).…”

Section: Opium Poppy and Testosteronementioning

confidence: 99%

Opiates Possibly Boosted Human Civilization

Charkhgard

Razaghi

2021

Iran J Psychiatry Behav Sci

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: Testosterone is a fundamental biological drive for human survival. Evidence documents an association between the evolutionary suppression of testosterone and the civilization processes, especially their socialization and family colonization abilities, among early humans. Interestingly, opiates suppress testosterone as a side effect. However, in clinical practice, clients undergoing opioid substitution therapy have subnormal, normal, or even above-normal testosterone. This paper discusses a possibility indicating that opiates promoted civilization processes among early humans. We further suggest that modern humans might have inherited the positive impact of opiates on early humans as a biological propensity for using opioids. Some users may use opioids for self-medication to decrease their extraordinarily high testosterone levels.

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“…In Asclepieia, the knowledge of healing was cultivated and a mystic system was created that kept medical knowledge secret in the healthy minds of the Asclepiads clear of superstitions and idiosyncrasies. The Hellenistic world including the art of medicine transferred the medical knowledge of Asclepieia to all humans of the ancient world with the campaigns of Alexander the Great [1][2][3][4][5].…”

Section: Asclepieiamentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Medicine is inseparably linked to the presence of man on earth because of the need for wound healing and disease therapy. Prehistoric men without language and culture focused on every experienced disease instinctively to plants and herbs; these pharmacies progressed after millennia of evolution to modern treatments [1][2][3]. The first references surrounding the early steps of medicine move to the fine line of mythology and date around the fifth to fourth century BC.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…The first medical institutions and centres of medical knowledge were the Asclepieia [4]. This is considered the era of those who with their apprenticeship in Asclepius and their writings formed medicine as a coherent and rational body of knowledge and practice [1][2][3][4]. Yet, in that era, the ancient people were trying to understand the institution of Asclepieia in mythology fiction, with supernatural elements and unproven divine factors in the fine line between superstition and science, exaggeration, and realism.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Asclepian art of medicine and surgery

Limneos

Kostroglou

Sioutis

et al. 2020

International Orthopaedics (SICOT)

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Purpose To summarize the available information from mythology, archeology, and classical literature aiming to compose the image of Asclepieia, Asclepius, and the Asclepiads, and to depict the atmosphere of medicine in its infancy. Method A thorough literature search was undertaken in PubMed and Google Scholar as well as in physical books in libraries to summarize the pharmacies and pain practices used for trauma in ancient Greece. ResultsThe antiquity of medicine is confirmed by the worship of God Apollo and Asclepius, who were the persons who possessed the knowledge of medicine and surgery, and delivered it to mortals. The available archaeological data, stone offerings, and inscriptions from Asclepieia were the first testimonies of divine and human knowledge and provide insights on individual cases of patients cured by the Asclepiads. Sparse descriptions offer a first glimpse of the methods and means used by the first priests-physicians for wound healing and diseases treatment. Conclusion Asclepieia established the roots of medicine and the first step of human knowledge, and contributed to the field of surgery and pharmacology that gave birth to the rational medicine. With Hippocrates and his research, the circle of Asclepieia ended, and the era of the organized medical schools with theories and experiments on every aspect of medicine begun.

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Pharmacies for pain and trauma in ancient Greece

Cited by 15 publications

References 32 publications

About anesthesiology and surgery: analgesia, anaesthesia, and non-surgical papers published in journals of surgery

About anesthesiology and surgery: analgesia, anaesthesia, and non-surgical papers published in journals of surgery

Opiates Possibly Boosted Human Civilization

The Asclepian art of medicine and surgery

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