Museum of the History of Medicine

On 29 July we visited the Museum of the History of Medicine, which is run by the Sapienza University of Rome. The museum covered everything from ancient medical theories and practices to modern day technologies and those that will likely come in the future. I thought that the section about Hippocrates was very interesting, since he was the first individual to understand that diseases were caused naturally, and not the result of gods. Hippocrates believed that a combination of environmental factors, diet, and living habits could potentially cause an imbalance in the fluids of the body, leading to disease. Even though it is known today that the biochemistry of the body is more complex, and that genetics play a huge role in our health, Hippocratic medicine was a huge step to the modern-day medicine is seen today. In fact, the oath that medical professionals take is based on the philosophies of Hippocrates, regarding the ethics that define good medical practice. The original version is not usually used, however the general ideas of morality in medicine still apply.