47 L5-Medicine Then and Now

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Oxford Read and Discover level 5 Medicine Then and Now by Louise & Richard Spilsbury

Introduction Today, when we have a headache or a fever, we can take medicine to make us well. When we go to hospital, doctors use medicine to help to make us well. In the past, medicine was different from what it is like today. Have you ever been ill? Have you ever been to hospital? What types of medicine have you used? Do you know what medicine was like in the past? Discover! Now read and discover more about medicine in the past and medicine today!

Chapter 1 Early Medicine Thousands of years ago, people tried to heal broken bones, but they thought that only magic could cure them when they were ill! Healthy Nomads Early people were nomads they didn't live in one place. They traveled around to look for food. They were healthy people. They lived outdoors most of the time and they walked and ran a lot. They hunted animals and ate the meat when it was still fresh. They usually ate plants on the same day that they picked them. People used mud to heal broken bones. If they broke an arm or a leg, they put wet mud on it. Then the mud became dry and hard, and it stopped the arm or leg moving so that the bone inside could heal. Magic Early people believed that they got ill because evil spirits were inside them. Many people had amulets things that people think are lucky. They hoped that their amulets would stop them being ill. People cared for each other when they were ill. A shaman was a man or woman who sang songs, danced, and did magic spells to make people well. Many people believed that these magic spells worked. In some places today, people visit a shaman for help when they are ill.

Medicines Made From Plants When early people tasted plants to test which ones were safe to eat, they also discovered plants that cured illness and fever. These plants were the first medicines. One of the oldest books about medicines made from plants was written in China more than 4,000 years ago! Most early medicines were made from parts of plants, like flowers. People ate the plant parts, or they made them into drinks. Sometimes they made the plant parts into lotions to put on their body. Today, many people use medicines made from plants. For example, people use lotions made from aloe vera plants to make sore skin feel better. Ancient Egyptian Doctors We know about medicine in Ancient Egypt because Ancient Egyptians wrote about their world. They cut words into walls and wrote on a type of paper. We know that Ancient Egyptians used magic spells to cure people, but they also had the first doctors. These doctors made medicines from plants, and they were good at putting bandages on wounds. They also used honey to help wounds to heal! This was a good idea. Even today, doctors put honey on wounds because it helps wounds to heal quickly.

Chapter 2 Doctors and Ideas When we go to a doctor, we ask, 'What is wrong with me?' Doctors have always had different ideas about how to diagnose and treat people. Ayurvedic Medicine Ayurvedic medicine started in India about 3,000 years ago. Ayurvedic doctors ask a patient about their life how they live, what they eat, and how they feel. To make people well and to prevent illness, Ayurvedic doctors tell people what foods to eat and what exercise to do. They also give people medicines made from plants, and they show them how to do yoga. Today, many people around the world use Ayurvedic medicine. Acupuncture Acupuncture is a type of medicine that people have used for thousands of years in China, Japan, and Korea. Today, people use acupuncture in many places around the world. Acupuncture doctors put thin needles into a patient's body at special places called acupuncture points. The needles stay in the body for up to 30 minutes, then the doctor takes them out. No one really knows how acupuncture works, but people often use it to treat backache, toothache, and headaches, and to stop people feeling ill. Discover! In China, some doctors use acupuncture on their patients during surgery. The patients aren't asleep, but they feel no pain!