Born in 129 AD Galen (Also known as Aelius Galenus or Claudius Galenus) was a Roman physician and probably the biggest contributor to medical research during the Roman period. His teachings remained ‘in-vogue’ in medicine for over a millennium, with his research anatomy remaining a central belief in medicine until 1543 when Vesalius published his book about human anatomy ( De Humani Corporis Fabrica) and his teachings about the heart and circulation remained unchallenged until 1628 when William Harvey recognized that the heart was a pump. Galen’s theory about the brain controlling the muscles is recognized today as fact.
Although Galen built his career in science, his career was the result of his father’s strong mythological beliefs. Nicon, Galen’s father dreamt of Asclepius (the Greek god of Medicine and Healing) demanding Galen study medicine. At sixteen Galen began to study at Asclepieum (a healing temple built to honor Asclepius). He spent four years studying here.
Influenced by the teachings of Hippocrates, Galen began to travel, following his father’s death in 148. He sought the teachings of various medical schools across Europe. In the medical school of Alexandria Galen witnessed the vivisection (surgery on living organisms) of human prisoners.
In Asia, Galen learned about the role diet, fitness, and hygiene play in health and illness. Galen returned to Rome where he introduced the idea of bloodletting (venesection), which was unheard of in Rome at the time. Galen went on to publish three books on the subject of venesection. Galen’s terminologies in his writings are still used in modern medicine today, although their meanings have altered with an increased medical knowledge of the human body and illness.
Galen was a staunch supporter of the doctors need to learn and embrace philosophy and rejected the draw of financial gain as a reason to enter into the medical profession. Galen believed the lure of money was at direct odds with the art of healing. Much of Galen’s work was based around his beliefs in the teachings of Hippocrates, with Galen believing Hippocrates was ‘divine’. Indeed a vast amount of Galen’s pathological work was based on the belief in the Humoral theories proposed by Hippocrates. Galen had a fearless attitude to surgery in an era where little was known about operating. He performed surgeries to remove cataracts and even performed brain surgeries. His techniques were revolutionary but it was nearly two millennia later that anybody else even dared attempt to repeat them.
There were failings in Galen’s teachings because of his belief that primates and humans were anatomically the same. He often performed vivisections on primates and believed their anatomy mirrored the anatomy of human beings. Galen correctly differentiated venous and arterial blood as being different and playing different roles in the functioning of the human body. However he attributed the dark red, venous blood to the liver and the bright, arterial blood to the heart.
Despite the short comings of Galen’s work his writings show a body of work that is outstanding for its time, with a level of accuracy that is often breathtaking. A fire in 191 lead to many of Galen’s works being destroyed but it is believed that his works run to approximately three million words. Speculation surrounds Galen’s death. Some sources state he died in 199 at the age of seventy, although Arabic sources claim he died after seventeen studying medicine and seventy years teaching it, making his age at death 217. Galen’s genius and relentless thirst for knowledge makes him one of the most fascinating and influential men in the history of medicine.
Although Galen built his career in science, his career was the result of his father’s strong mythological beliefs. Nicon, Galen’s father dreamt of Asclepius (the Greek god of Medicine and Healing) demanding Galen study medicine. At sixteen Galen began to study at Asclepieum (a healing temple built to honor Asclepius). He spent four years studying here.
Influenced by the teachings of Hippocrates, Galen began to travel, following his father’s death in 148. He sought the teachings of various medical schools across Europe. In the medical school of Alexandria Galen witnessed the vivisection (surgery on living organisms) of human prisoners.
In Asia, Galen learned about the role diet, fitness, and hygiene play in health and illness. Galen returned to Rome where he introduced the idea of bloodletting (venesection), which was unheard of in Rome at the time. Galen went on to publish three books on the subject of venesection. Galen’s terminologies in his writings are still used in modern medicine today, although their meanings have altered with an increased medical knowledge of the human body and illness.
Galen was a staunch supporter of the doctors need to learn and embrace philosophy and rejected the draw of financial gain as a reason to enter into the medical profession. Galen believed the lure of money was at direct odds with the art of healing. Much of Galen’s work was based around his beliefs in the teachings of Hippocrates, with Galen believing Hippocrates was ‘divine’. Indeed a vast amount of Galen’s pathological work was based on the belief in the Humoral theories proposed by Hippocrates. Galen had a fearless attitude to surgery in an era where little was known about operating. He performed surgeries to remove cataracts and even performed brain surgeries. His techniques were revolutionary but it was nearly two millennia later that anybody else even dared attempt to repeat them.
There were failings in Galen’s teachings because of his belief that primates and humans were anatomically the same. He often performed vivisections on primates and believed their anatomy mirrored the anatomy of human beings. Galen correctly differentiated venous and arterial blood as being different and playing different roles in the functioning of the human body. However he attributed the dark red, venous blood to the liver and the bright, arterial blood to the heart.
Despite the short comings of Galen’s work his writings show a body of work that is outstanding for its time, with a level of accuracy that is often breathtaking. A fire in 191 lead to many of Galen’s works being destroyed but it is believed that his works run to approximately three million words. Speculation surrounds Galen’s death. Some sources state he died in 199 at the age of seventy, although Arabic sources claim he died after seventeen studying medicine and seventy years teaching it, making his age at death 217. Galen’s genius and relentless thirst for knowledge makes him one of the most fascinating and influential men in the history of medicine.
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