A Story of Medicine in 50 Discoveries: From Mummies to Gene Splicing [Paperback]

The 5,000-year-old Iceman discovered frozen in the Alps may have treatedhis gallstones, Lyme disease, and hardening of the arteries with the 61tattoos that covered his bodymost of which matched acupuncturepointsand the walnut-sized pieces of fungus he carried on his belt. Theherbal medicines chamomile and yarrow have been found on50,000-year-old teeth, and neatly bored holes in prehistoric skulls showthat Neolithic surgeons relieved pressure on the brain (or attempted torelease evil spirits) at least 10,000 years ago. From Mesopotamianpharmaceuticals and Ancient Greek sleep therapy through midwifery,amputation, bloodletting, Renaissance anatomy, bubonic plague, andcholera to the discovery of germs, X-rays, DNA-based treatments andmodern prosthetics, the history of medicine is a wild ride through thehistory of humankind.