In Egypt, they applied feces to the eyes of crocodiles. In India, they would restore cut noses and sew the wounds back with ants. In Babylonia, they found the "key" to the treatment of sexually transmitted diseases. Jürgen Thorwald in Ancient Medicine sets out on a journey in the footsteps of ancient doctors and surgeons to discover a fascinating story not only about contemporary medicine, but also about great civilizations, the achievements of which we are unaware of.
Long before Hippocrates, on the Nile, between the Euphrates and the Tigris, at the foot of Mexican volcanoes or the Peruvian Cordillera, outstanding doctors faced various diseases and ailments. They used primary forms of antibiotics to heal wounds, amputations, surgeries and skull trepanations (all without anesthesia!). Moreover, they were familiar with Caesarean sections, cataract surgery or skin grafts, and a third of the herbs known and used today were used by doctors in ancient Egypt. Seems impossible? And yet!
Jürgen Thorwald in the book “Ancient Medicine. Its secrets and power. Egypt, Babylonia, India, China, Mexico, Peru "(Wydawnictwo Literackie 2017) takes the reader on a journey to the world of five ancient cultures to discover the secrets of contemporary doctors and their craftsmanship.
Jürgen Thorwald shows the artistry of ancient doctors with reporter precision, beginning each chapter with a historical outline of a given culture. Written with passion, erudition and perceptible admiration for the forefathers of medicine, and richly illustrated, the book guides the reader into the world of highly developed civilizations of Egypt, Mesopotamia, India, Peru, China and Mexico. It presents the achievements of medical-historical research and an overview of the medical world of five ancient cultures.
Great narrative talent and lively language - they make Thorwald's stories read like an addictive detective story, and at the same time non-fiction at its best.
The story of five extraordinary cultures and the birth of medical craftsmanship:
