Paleomedicine

Paleomedicine
Evidence of disease and injuries among ancient humans and other animals is incomplete for epidemiological purposes, but more than sufficient to establish the general notion of their abundance.

Therefore, we would able to determine when uniquely human responses to the suffering caused by disease and injury began.

In other words, at what stage did human beings begin to practice medicine and surgery?

Clues to the existence of paleomedicine must be evaluated even more cautiously than evidence of disease.

For example, the “negative imprints” that appear to be tracings of mutilated hands found in Paleolithic cave paintings may record deliberate amputations, loss of fingers to frostbite, magical symbols of unknown significance, or even some kind of game.

Early humans may have learned to splint fractured arms or legs to alleviate the pain caused by movement, but there is little evidence that they learned to reduce fractures.

Moreover, well healed fractures can be found wild apes.

Thus, the discovery of healed fractures and splints does not necessarily prove the existence of prehistoric orthopedic surgeons or bone setters.

Perhaps the most striking proof of ancient surgical skill appeared in the form of trepanned skulls discovered at Neolithic sites in Peru, Europe, Russian and India.

Although this operation is sometimes mistakenly referred to as “prehistoric brain surgery,” trepanation consists of the removal of a disk of bone.

Anthropologists have discovered that contemporary tribal healers perform trepanations for both magical and practical reasons.

Prehistoric surgeons may also have had various reasons for carrying out this difficult and dangerous operation.
Paleomedicine