Ancient Greece.

Greek history probably provides a scientific approach to medicine. Even in Homers Trojan war and the Iliad there are descriptions of various injuries of the skeletaon and how they were treated in those days.Herophilus was the first to distinguish the motor system from sensory system and poit out the differance between arteries and veins.Hegetor of Alexandria was the first to describe the anatomy of the hip joint.Hippocrates who is considered as the 'Father of Modern Medicine' lived about 430 to 330 BC.He published his work Corpus Hippocraticus.He was systematic and scientific in his approach and the oath named after him is still taught to medical students, although the oath is not being taken.One of the volumes in th Corpus is devoted to dislocations and most common dislocations are described along with their treatment. We still teach the Hippocrates method of reducing dislocations of the shoulder.

He saw the importance of unnessarily probing compound fractures.
He knew the principles of traction and counter traction.
He was the first to decribe treatment of club foot.
The history of Ancient Greece will be continued in the next posting.